Will Trump rescue his former casino empire?

Real estate mogul Donald Trump has had a change of heart about Atlantic City. He may ride to the rescue of the two properties that bear his name -- even though he hasn't played a role in managing them for years.

According to a Tweet sent from the @realDonaldTrump account earlier this morning that his office has confirmed as genuine, the Donald may invest in the Trump Plaza and Taj Mahal.

Trump wasn't more specific about his plans for the two casino hotels and a spokesman declined to elaborate. Trump has repeatedly congratulated himself for exiting the Atlantic City gaming market before its precipitous decline and has sued to have his name removed from the Plaza and Taj Mahal.

Casino analyst Alan R. Woinski said in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch that he agrees with Trump that the properties were mismanaged. But he noted, "he seems to think that everyone has forgotten that the first three bankruptcies were his ... What is he going to bring to the table that these guys don't have? He is much better at TV shows and real estate than he was at managing casinos."

The Atlantic City casino market has undergone a sea change in the years since Trump played an active role in the industry. For one thing, Atlantic City has lost its monopoly on casino gaming and there are now about two dozen or so casinos in the Northeast with more on the way, making a trip to the Jersey Shore town unnecessary for many gamblers. As a result, Atlantic City casino revenue slumped more than 44 percent between 2006 and 2013 and experts have said it's unlikely the money will return.

Also, Trump won't be able to take any action without the agreement of billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn, the largest creditor of Trump Entertainment, the corporate parent of the Trump properties. Icahn didn't respond to a message left at his office seeking comment for this story. He probably would want the support of Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and UNITE Here Local 54, the largest casino workers union. Neither Guardian nor the union could immediately be reached.

The parent company, in which Donald Trump has a 10 percent stake, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 9. Trump Plaza shut down on September 16, costing more than 1,000 people their jobs. The property has been bleeding money for years. The Taj Mahal, one of the largest buildings in New Jersey, could have a future under a different management team even though it too loses money, casino analysts have said. It is due to close in November if a buyer is not found. The property has a workforce of about 2,800.

"Certainly, I can't predict what Donald Trump has in mind," said Israel Posner, the head of The Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality & Tourism at Stockton Stockton State College, in an interview. He added that Trump's brand is best known for its connections to luxurious residences and golf courses. "Whether or not this makes good business sense is something that only Donald Trump knows."

Ever since Atlantic City casinos began closing earlier this year, there has been speculation that they might be reborn as non-gaming properties. But no deals along those lines have emerged.

Florida developer Glenn Straub recently offered $90 million for the shuttered Revel Casino Hotel, a small fraction of the $2.6 billion spent building the glitzy property. The Wall Street journal, however, noted that it wasn't clear if Straub planned to operate Revel as casino. Atlantic City is trying to market itself to convention and meeting planners interested in organizing regional meetings.