Taj Aims for December 12th Shutdown
Shuttestock.com
After months of struggling to survive, the end may finally be near for the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City. The casino had said it might close down December 12th; now it’s made that date official.
The company filed a petition last week with the state Division of Gaming Enforcement asking for formal permission to close the casino. The company said it was taking two actions effective Monday, the day the filing was made public: closing the Chairman Tower, the newer of its two hotel towers, and halting the issuance of credit.
The shutdown petition says the Taj Mahal will close at 5:59 a.m. on Dec. 12, and the final hotel guests have until noon that day to check out. Cars have to be out of the garage by 5 that evening.
The casino owner, Trump Entertainment, has been trying to work on a deal to stay alive by transferring ownership to financier Carl Icahn, but that deal hinges on tax breaks that have been rejected across all branches of government, as well as labor union concessions that have not been forthcoming.
Four other Atlantic City casinos have closed this year, leading to the loss of 8,000 jobs.
