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Tag: atlantic city

  • Ivanka Trump And The Donald Will Sue To Remove Trump Name From Declining Atlantic City Casino

    Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump have won the right to sue for the removal of the Trump name from Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal casino.

    Now, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump will demand that Trump Entertainment Resorts, with which Donald Trump is no longer associated, but holds a 10% stake in, remove the name Trump from the crumbling Taj Mahal.

    “Unfortunately, Trump Entertainment Resorts has allowed the Taj to fall into an utter state of disrepair in violation of their licensing agreement,” Trump attorney Alan Garten said.

    He added, “We think it’s a good ruling.”

    In response to the initial outcry from Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Trump Entertainment Resorts removed the Trump sign from the Trump Plaza.

    However, even after removing the neon lights that declared “Trump” to Atlantic City visitors, the outline remained clearly visible from a coat of dirt or rust.

    Atlantic City has been in a steady decline for a while now, with casinos closing left and right.

    The Trump Taj Mahal was in trouble for a long time. In fact, Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy and threatened to close the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, back in November.

    In the lawsuit, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump insist that “The Trump name … has become synonymous with the highest levels of quality, luxury, prestige and success.”

    Obviously, allowing the Taj Mahal to fall into disrepair is something that Ivanka Trump and her father don’t want to be associated with at all.

    But, Trump Entertainment Resorts is fighting to keep the name on the Taj Mahal.

    What do you think about Donald and Ivanka Trump’s lawsuit against Trump Entertainment Resorts? Do you think it’s reasonable for the Trumps to not want to be associated with declining casinos?

  • Miss America 2014: Welcome Distraction

    The Miss America 2014 competition is heating up.

    The excitement builds as the pageant is drawing closer to Sunday’s crowning of the new Miss America.

    The competition is being held in Atlantic City, where things are not looking so great economically.

    On the boardwalk, where the pageantry is taking place, the sight is a sad one.

    Where casinos and nightlife once lined the way, it grows dimmer all the time. The boardwalk began the year with 12 casinos. Now, five have closed their doors.

    The most recent, the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, filed for bankruptcy on the same day that competition began. Trump Entertainment Resorts has threatened to close what will soon be its lone remaining casino, costing thousands of people their jobs.

    The Atlantic Club, Showboat and Revel have all closed down this year, and Trump Plaza is closing next Tuesday.

    However, pageant officials are hoping that the glitz and glamour of the Miss America 2014 competitions will distract the city from its troubles, even if just for a little while.

    “Our hearts go out to the many, many people who have lost their jobs,” said Sam Haskell III, CEO of the Miss America Organization.

    He continued, “We hope that the Miss America competition, the Show Us Your Shoes parade and all the wonderful events this week are going to help bring some happiness and joy to this great city that serves as the birthplace of Miss America. We know what’s going on here and we want to be something positive.”

    The pageant itself hasn’t gone on without a hitch, unfortunately.

    Miss Rhode Island, Ivy Depew, collapsed onstage on Tuesday night, but officials said that she just got overheated and that she should be fine.

    There is no word yet on whether or not DePew will continue to compete.

    Good luck to all of the competitors taking part in the Miss America 2014 pageant! May it be a bright spot for the citizens of Atlantic City, though temporary it may be.

  • Miss America 2014 Distracts Forlorn Atlantic City

    The Miss America 2014 pageant is a welcome distraction this year in the midst of financial crisis.

    The city began the year with 12 casinos on the infamous boardwalk. But on the same day that the Miss America 2014 competitions started, Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy and threatened to close what will soon be its lone remaining casino, the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort.

    The Trump Taj Mahal is the fifth casino to crumble this year on the boardwalk. Among others that have fallen prey to financial difficulty are The Atlantic Club, Showboat, and Revel.

    It’s a sad time for Atlantic City right now, but pageant officials are hoping that the Miss America 2014 pageant, as well as the fun preliminary competitions, will help raise spirits.

    “Our hearts go out to the many, many people who have lost their jobs,” said Sam Haskell III, CEO of the Miss America Organization.

    He continued, “We hope that the Miss America competition, the Show Us Your Shoes parade and all the wonderful events this week are going to help bring some happiness and joy to this great city that serves as the birthplace of Miss America. We know what’s going on here and we want to be something positive.”

    The Miss America 2014 pageant hasn’t gone off without a hitch so far, however. Miss Rhode Island, Ivy DePew, collapsed onstage and was taken to a hospital for treatment right before awards for the day’s competitions were announced.

    It doesn’t seem too serious. Dena Blizzard, the pageant’s host, told the audience “She just got a little overheated.”

    Pageant officials expect Ivy DePew to be fine and return to competition.

    Good luck to all of those competing in the Miss America 2014 pageant. Hopefully it will take Atlantic City’s minds off of the crumbling casino industry, even if it’s just for a little while.

  • Trump Taj Mahal Closing Slated For November, Donald Trump Files Lawsuit

    Atlantic City’s gambling industry is in danger following the announcement of the closing of one of its iconic casinos, the Trump Taj Mahal. If it closes in November, as Trump Entertainment Resorts threatened on Tuesday, Trump Taj Mahal will be the fifth casino shut down this year out of 12 establishments located in Atlantic City.

    In a statement e-mailed to The Washington Post, Trump Entertainment Resorts announced that without “significant expense reductions, the Trump Taj Mahal is expected to close on or shortly after November 13, 2014.”

    The announcement coincided with the company’s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Wilmington, Delaware and followed a previous announcement by the company that it would be closing its other casino in Atlantic City, Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, in September. The Trump Plaza will accordingly be closing next week on September 16.

    If Trump Taj Mahal closes in November as well, 2,800 people will be left unemployed, bringing the total number of casino jobs lost this year in Atlantic City to 8,000. Revenues for casinos in Atlantic City this year have been negatively affected by the opening of casinos in neighboring states such as Maryland, New York, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

    Apparently, when rumors about the closing of Trump Taj Mahal circulated on Monday, September 8, New Jersey governor Chris Christie also held a meeting with elected officials, union leaders and casino executives to address the closing of casinos in the city. State and city officials are reportedly aiming to attract other businesses to Atlantic City to offset the losses of casinos and attract non-gamblers to the area.

    Meanwhile, Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove his name from the two doomed casinos, saying that their closing might damage “the Trump name and brand.” Trump founded Trump Entertainment Resorts but no longer has an active role in managing the company.

  • Trump Taj Mahal Closing? Atlantic City Casino To File For Bankruptcy

    Could the Trump Taj Mahal close?

    Reuters reported that Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc, which operates Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort and Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, is set to file for bankruptcy. The news is yet another blow to the Casino industry in Atlantic City. Within a month, 8,300 people will lose their jobs with the announced closings of Showboat, Revel, and the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino. If the Trump Taj Mahal joins them, the situation will just become worse.

    2,800 people depend on the Trump Taj Mahal for employment. “What happened to Atlantic City, there’s a lot of competition from a lot of other locations,” Donald Trump told Bloomberg News, “It’s happening all over.” Trump has no active role in the company, and he is even looking to remove his name from the whole thing. “It’s not that we’re demanding rights,” he said, “We just want the name taken off the building. We have the hottest hotel portfolio in the world right now. They are not operating the hotel in accordance with our very high standard.”

    According to the Record, the owners of the casino filed a report with New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. “If the Company is unable to achieve significant revenue increases and improvements in its operating results, the Company will have difficulty funding its operations and meeting its payment obligations, unless the Company is able to obtain additional sources of liquidity or restructure its business and/or its indebtedness and other obligations,” it said, “There can be no assurance that the Company will achieve such revenue increases or that it will be successful in obtaining additional sources of liquidity.”

    The rumors are already circulating. CBS 3 Eyewitness News claimed sources informed them that the Trump Taj Mahal will close, but no official announcement has been made yet.

  • Poker Tournament Refund Announced By Borgata Casino

    Here’s a piece of common sense advice for anyone trying to hide evidence, don’t flush anything down the toilet that will cause a clog.

    Christian Lusardi was charged with theft and rigging a public contest when the poker player from North Carolina allegedly flushed fake poker chips down the toilet at the Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City.

    Lusardi was playing in a $560 buy-in poker tournament at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey in January when he allegedly mixed in counterfeit poker chips. The 2,100 person tournament was suspended when the fake chips were discovered.

    After a three month investigation, the Borgata announced yesterday that each player will be reimbursed their entry fee. Additionally, the top 27 players will take home $19,323.

    Authorities reported that Lusardi flushed the fake poker chips down the toilet when he thought that the chips were spotted. Of course, they clogged the bathroom pipes, and guests below Lusardi’s hotel room experienced water dripping into their room. Maintenance was summoned and the chips were found to be the culprit of the clog.

    It will cost the Borgata a cool $1.7 million between reimbursed tournament entry refunds and prize payouts. However, learning from their mistake, the casino has already introduced more secure chips for their upcoming tournaments. The Borgata will start using poker chips that can be detected with an ultraviolet light. DGE spokesman Kerry Langan stated, “The division is engaged in an industry-wide comprehensive review of all the existing tournament standards and those related to future tournament events.”

    The 42-year-old Lusardi was arrested following the incident and brought to the Atlantic County Facility. His bail was set at $300,000. He is presently being held while he awaits his trial date.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Borgata Casino Lawsuit Claims Gambler Cheated, Won $9.6 Million

    The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, N.J., is filed a suit Tuesday against a big-time gambler, claiming he won $9.6 million while cheating at baccarat card games.

    The casino filed the federal suit on Tuesday against Phillip Ivey, Jr., who has won nine World Series Poker bracelets, and has a reputation as one of the best poker players in the world.

    The lawsuit alleges that Ivey and an associate used to their advantage a defect in cards made by Kansas City manufacturer Gemaco Inc. that enabled them to sort and arrange good cards in baccarat.

    The technique, called edge sorting, violates New Jersey casino gambling regulations, the casino said in the lawsuit.

    Ivey used edge sorting to beat the casino on four occasions between April and October 2012, the Borgata claimed.

    The casino also claimed in the lawsuit that Ivey and his companion asked a dealer to flip cards in specific ways, depending on whether the card was a desirable one or not in baccarat.

    The pattern on the back of the cards was not uniform and were half- and quarter-diamonds instead of whole diamonds, and the cards were therefore defective, the lawsuit claimed.

    The lawsuit claims that Ivey and his companion asked a dealer to flip cards in specific directions, depending on whether the card was desirable in baccarat. The numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 are considered good cards in baccarat. Bad cards would be flipped in different directions, so that after several hands of cards, the good cards were arranged in a certain manner — with the irregular side of the card facing in a specific direction. Ivey could see when the good cards came out of the dealer chute, the lawsuit claims.

    The lawsuit also claims that Ivey wanted the cards shuffled by an automatic shuffling machine, which would not change the way each card was aligned.

    The Genting Group, a major casino operator based in Malaysia, filed a lawsuit in Britain’s High Court also claiming that Ivey and an accomplice won $12 million while cheating at baccarat. Ivey denied he cheated in that case.

    Neither Ivy nor representatives from the Borgata have made comments regarding the suit at this time.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Miss America Pageant Returns to Atlantic City

    New Jersey officials confirmed this week that the Miss America Pageant will be returning to Atlantic City.

    The pageant had been held in Atlantic City for its first 85 years, but was moved to Las Vegas in 2006.

    “We are so very proud to bring Miss America back to her birthplace in Atlantic City,” said Sam Haskell, chairman of the Miss America Organization. “We are grateful to Governor Christie and his staff for helping make this possible. Throughout the decades, Miss America has evolved into an organization that enables over 12,000 young women to enter and participate in our scholarship program each and every year. Today, Miss America remains an iconic symbol, and our roots have always stayed connected to Atlantic City. Our proud heritage is rich in history, having been named by USA Today as one of the Top Ten pieces of Americana remaining in our great country today.”

    Atlantic City is expected to sign a multi-year contract to hold the Miss America pageants in the city.

    The official announcement of the pageant’s return was made by Kim Guadagno, lieutenant governor of New Jersey. A ceremony, today made it clear that New Jersey officials consider the pageant an opportunity to lure tourists to the state, and particularly to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk.

    “For decades, the Miss America organization has awarded scholarships to thousands of young women to help further their goals of higher education and achieve their dreams,” said Guadagno. “New Jersey is proud to once again host the Miss America Pageant here in Atlantic City.”

    (Image courtesy the Miss America Organization)

  • Atlantic City Firefighters Use Bible iPad App to Swear in During Promotion Ceremony

    The image you see below is of several Atlantic City firefighters swearing allegiance to Steve Jobs in order to be promoted to the ranks of Battalion Chief and Fire Captain.

    No, not really. What you’re actually seeing is several Atlantic City firefighters swearing in on a bible iPad app in lieu of an actual bible because someone forgot to bring the actual bible to the ceremony.

    (image)

    Close enough, right?

    [NBC40 via BuzzFeed]