Sources: Trump Plaza Could Be Headed For Closure
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., (CBS) –There is talk that another Atlantic City casino could be headed for closure.
Officials within Trump Plaza have yet to offer any comment of confirmation.
A source tells Eyewitness News WARN Act notices to employees at Trump Plaza could go out as early as Monday.
"I've been back and forth between being depressed and angry all day," New Jersey State Senator and former Atlantic City Mayor Jim Whelan said.
Whelan says credible sources are telling him that come September unless a buyer steps in or there is some kind of dramatic financial change, Trump Plaza will be shutting down and laying off roughly 1,000 employees.
"I would love to stand here and tell people, particularly don't worry we are going to fight, we are going to save your jobs I would be lying… Anyway you cut it it's not a good day for Atlantic City, It's not a good news for our overall economy," he said.
Whelan indicates the closing of Trump Plaza would follow along the downturn for Atlantic City casinos since Pennsylvania and other nearby states legalized gambling.
Roger Gros is the publisher of Global Gaming Business Magazine. He says Trump Plaza has been the lowest performing casino in Atlantic City and its owners have been trying to sell it for years.
"They are going to send out WARN notices next week, which is the federal requirement when you are going to lay people off. You have to give them 60 days notice and that's what they are going to be doing next week," Gros said.
The Trump Plaza's $73-million is gambling revenues last year was good enough for last place in Atlantic City. This year's revenues are already down 27-percent.
Bob McDevitt, president of Local 54, Atlantic City's largest casino union, released the following statement on Saturday about the possible closure.
If the rumors about Trump Plaza are true, that will mean that there are over 7,000 workers under WARN act in Atlantic City. That's almost 1 in 4 casino workers. We are going to do whatever it takes to stand with these workers and fight for the future of south Jersey.
Atlantic City is the economic engine not only of south Jersey, but also of the tourism industry for the entire state. While this is a personal tragedy for every family involved, it is also a crisis for the state. We expect Trenton to react with more than just sympathetic sound bites; we demand action equal to the magnitude of this pending catastrophe.
A source tells Eyewitness News this is not unexpected news, and it may not mean Trump Plaza will definitely shut down.
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