
Trump Plaza’s shutdown will imply that as four Atlantic City casinos could be closed this 12 months. (Image: Lisa Andres/Flickr)
The casino industry of Atlantic City is currently facing an unprecedented freefall. After years of declining revenues, at minimum two casinos have already closed or plan to shut in 2010, and another is facing a second bankruptcy in 2 yrs. And now, a fourth has stated that they additionally expect to shut straight down in only a months that are few.
That’s the fate that is apparent of Trump Plaza casino, as Trump Entertainment Resorts has said that they anticipate the venue to close on September 16. As the owners reportedly said that the decision isn’t entirely final, employees had been to get warnings of the expected closing on previously this week.
‘Although [the] review has not been completed and no ultimate decision has been made, the business expects it will end the operations of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino on or shortly after September 16, 2014,’ the company told the Associated Press.
Trump Plaza Joins Other AC Closures
If the closure goes through as anticipated, the end result could be that up to a third of Atlantic City’s casinos could close this year down. In January, the Atlantic Club shuttered its doors, while the Showboat is about to close in August. Meanwhile, the Revel is in bankruptcy court for the time that is second and may potentially close if a buyer for the property can not be discovered. That could leave the town with simply eight casinos that are remaining compared to 12 in the very beginning of the 12 months.
Based on an AP report, no buyer has yet come forward to take the casino over, and it is not yet known just what the near future could hold for the building after the resort closes.
The Trump Plaza was opened in May 1984. At that time, it ended up being a project that is personal Donald Trump, though he now just owns a ten percent stake in Trump Entertainment Resorts and is no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of this company. The venue cost $210 million to build.
Lack of Gambling Enterprises Could Help Remaining Resorts
Although the loss of as much as four casinos may seem apocalyptic for Atlantic City, there’s reason to believe it might actually help in the run that is long. The casino that is oversaturated in the northeastern United States has hurt Atlantic City, with competition from Pennsylvania being particularly damaging.
But you will find still many visitors to the city, and with eight casinos still active there, many gamblers will don’t have any trouble getting a resort that appeals to them. That means that there may be nearly as much gamblers as before, but that there will now be only eight casinos to rather split those customers than 12.
Which will be cold convenience to those who lose jobs due to the casino closures, however. This year alone if both the Revel and Trump Plaza were to close, that could mean that nearly 8,000 casino employees will have lost jobs in Atlantic City. That represents in regards to a quarter of the city’s gambling workforce.
Trump Plaza is certainly available on the market, but Trump Entertainment Resorts has had trouble finding an interested buyer. Last year, the venue was nearly sold for $20 million to a company in California, but that deal fell through. If the Plaza near down, Trump Entertainment will operate just one casino in Atlantic City, the Trump Taj Mahal.
Poker Player Paul Phua Arrested with World Cup Gambling Ring
Paul Phua, that is denied he has any links to crime that is organized was ordered to post $2 million bail, along side giving up their $48 million private jet as collateral. (Image: bankrollmob.com)
Probably if you plan to set up an unlawful sports betting ring, doing it regarding the property of an important Las Vegas casino with unique sports book is not your best idea ever. But that reality seemingly have eluded high-stakes poker player Paul Phua, who happens to be arrested along side lightning link slot online free a unlawful world cup gambling band running out of three luxury suites in Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas Strip.
The FBI broke up the procedure during the high-roller suites week that is last where the gang of seven men plus one woman had been running what the Gambling Control Board described as being a kind of high-tech ‘wire space,’ where illegal World Cup bets had been being monitored by computers remotely associated with others computers overseas.
The poker world knows Paul Phua, 50, as high-stakes poker player, a ‘wealthy Asian businessman’ and a figure that is prominent the fabled Macau big game; he is rated #1 on the Hendon Mob’s Macau All-Time Money List. Three months ago he came sixth within the EPT Grand Final High Roller Event in Monte Carlo as well as in 2012 he played within the Big One for just one Drop tournament. However, in accordance with the FBI, he is Wei Seng Phua, a high-ranking person in the 14K Triad organized group that is criminal.
The ‘Wire Room’
The court heard Phua had been arrested in Macau in mid-June and faced with operating a gambling that is illegal there. After being released on bail, this indicates he hot-tailed it up to Las Vegas to carry on running the procedure remotely.
Caesars became suspicious whenever Phua, or certainly one of his associates, insisted that the casino install an unusual amount of technical equipment in the suites, enough to support eight electronic subscriber lines on top the normal WiFi access. Employees observed computer monitors that were hooked up to what appeared to be a sportsbook, and next to the computer stations, there have been three screen that is large, tuned into World Cup soccer games.
(We are going to pause and that means you can observe smirk time now).
Acting on a tip-off from Caesars, undercover law enforcement agents monitored activity within the rooms through the entire month. They raided the suites on July 9, seizing gambling documents, computer equipment and other evidence.
All eight defendants appeared in court on Monday and were charged with one or more count of the illegal transmission of wagering information and of operating a gambling business that is illegal. Paul Phua’s Las Vegas attorney, David Chesnoff, denied the hyper link to organized crime and said that Phua would fight the charges.
‘ This is a very advanced, intelligent individual who would like to defend himself,’ said Chesnoff.
$2 Million Bail for Phua
US Magistrate Judge Bill Hoffman set the bail for Paul Phua at $2 million, along with his $48 million private jet as collateral. Phua’s son Darren Phua, 22, also allegedly member of the gang, was bought to post $500,000 bail. Both defendants were ordered to be electronically monitored and to stay on home detention into the custody of a neighborhood medical practitioner who had befriended Phua senior through the poker community. According to Chesnoff, several poker players, including Andrew Robl, were rallying around to greatly help publish Phua’s bail, with Robl apparently willing to pay $1.5 million.
Among the list of group was another poker player, Malaysian national Seng Chen Yong, 56. In April 2012, Yong placed fourth in the Asian Poker Tour Manila for $ 439,379, coincidently per year before Phua also placed fourth in the tournament that is same. Yong and his son Wai Kin Yong were both detained as flight risks.
An investigation that is ongoing being conducted by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Nevada Gaming Control Board. If discovered guilty, the defendants could address five years in prison. As well as the wrath of the Triad.
Bart Tichelman Daughter Charged in Google Executive Overdose
Bart Tichelman’s daughter Alix was faced with voluntary manslaughter in the death of A google professional. (Image: Shmuel Thaler/AP)
Drugs, prostitution while the death of the major corporate administrator sound such as the components of a made-for-TV film. But in this case, the story is all too real, and also features a surprising connection to the world of gambling.
Alix Catherine Tichelman, a model who police say had been also a high-end prostitute, has been charged with manslaughter in connection with all the loss of Forrest Tim Hayes, a Google professional. Tichelman is accused of injecting Hayes with heroin on his yacht, then leaving him to die of the ensuing overdose. Hayes died on 23, 2013 november.
That charge was passed down in Santa Cruz Superior Court week that is last along with charges of possession, management and transport of drugs, in addition to destroying evidence, engaging in prostitution, and agreeing to prostitution. Tichelman did not enter a plea.
Security Footage Shows Tichelman on Yacht
Police allege that Tichelman had an ongoing relationship with Hayes in her role being a prostitute. Security footage from Hayes’ yacht, the ‘Escape,’ allegedly shows Tichelman stepping over Hayes’ human anatomy and consuming from a glass of wine without doing anything to assist him after she had allegedly injected him aided by the ultimately deadly heroin overdose. Fingerprints on the glass of wine helped to identify Tichelman, as did her distinctive tattoos, which she had shared on social media accounts.
Tichelman was arrested a week ago after authorities lured her to a Santa Cruz resort. Reports say that police led her to trust that a rich client was ready to pay her $1,000 for intercourse.
The situation could get even worse for Tichelman should the investigation turn up more evidence while the current charge related to Hayes’ death is manslaughter.
‘then we’ll certainly evaluate that when that’s presented,’ said prosecutor Rafael Vazquez if the evidence shows that murder can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. ‘She knew the act was dangerous to life that is human she acted deliberately and in conscious disregard for human life.’
Tichelman is Daughter of CEO Poker Player
Tichelman may be the child of Bart Tichelman, the CEO of SynapSense, a firm that is folsom-based manages Internet data centers throughout the world. He is also a successful poker player with more than $430,000 in job tournament earnings. Most of this came in one major cash: a victory in a 2008 World group of Poker Circuit event in Tunica that earned him $425,595 in prize cash. Bart Tichelman is still active in poker today, also cashing in a World variety of Poker event within yesteryear weeks that are few.
Alix Tichelman was once related to Dean Riopelle, a former enthusiast who passed away just two months before Hayes. Riopelle died of the heart assault, but police are now apparently reopening an investigation into their death once the circumstances were very similar to those of Hayes.
There’s also another connection with a similar death in Tichelman’s past. She once dated Warren Ullom, an Atlanta singer who was convicted of the manslaughter that is voluntary of woman who died after a deadly dose of heroin.
Tichelman was understood for modeling under the pseudonym of AK Kennedy, and once said she enjoyed modeling her to play a character because it allowed. She also saw by herself as an author and poet, sometimes posting dark poems to Twitter and other media sites that are social.