
The Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City has begun the process of shutting straight down, you start with the closing of one casino tower.
The Trump Taj Mahal has entered early phases of the shutdown, even as the Atlantic City resort continues to talk to union representatives and state officials about deals the home’s owners say could save the casino.
Trump Entertainment filed a petition week that is last for permission to formally close the casino on the scheduled December 12 date that has been floated for some time now, and actions working towards that closure began to take spot on Monday this week.
The signs that are first the resort could possibly be headed for a shutdown began on Monday, whenever Chairman Tower of the hotel was closed. The Chairman could be the newer regarding the two hotel towers at the resort. In addition, the casino has stopped credit that is issuing customers, though gambling and hotel services are otherwise uninterrupted for the full time being.
Concessions Desired from Government, Unions
Trump Entertainment Resorts has said that the casino could remain open through a transfer of ownership to investor Carl Icahn. Nevertheless, both the company and Icahn have said that this could only happen if they could receive tax breaks from Atlantic City and hawaii of New Jersey, and if they could get concessions from the labor union that represents workers at the casino.
Neither the national government nor the union has shown much of a desire to give in to these demands. However, talks have been ongoing and there may be some indications of movement within the last few days, which could offer at least a glimmer that is small of to those who want to see the Taj Mahal stay in company.
Local 54 of the UNITE-HERE union, which represents about 2,700 employees at the resort, is appealing a bankruptcy court decision that would break the present agreement between the union and Trump Entertainment, which would in change let the company to get rid of payments to the union health fund and retirement plans.
Icahn has now publicly stated which he would be willing to consent to restore those healthy benefits for at the very least two years and create a new pension policy for workers, but as long as they in change will drop their appeal of the bankruptcy court ruling. The union has yet to comment on if they would accept this type of deal.
New Legislation Could Provide Tax Relief
Meanwhile, a piece that is new of introduced on Tuesday by State Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3rd District) and State Senator James Whelan (D-2nd District) would provide some of the tax relief that Icahn and Trump Entertainment happen lobbying for. The bill that is new allow Atlantic City’s gambling enterprises to pay $150 million in lieu of their normal tax payments on the next two years, while also redirecting money originally designed for redevelopment jobs to aid pay down Atlantic City’s debt.
While the tax relief has some features in common with what the Taj Mahal is asking for from the continuing state, Trump Entertainment CEO Robert Griffin would only say that ‘ we will see’ if the bill could be enough to help keep the Taj Mahal open.
The bill would also help secure some regarding the demands being produced by casino worker unions by mandating health that is minimum and your retirement packages for casino employees.
‘My plan is made to protect Atlantic City from bankruptcy and position the city for future growth that is economic’ Sweeney stated.
Four casinos have already closed in Atlantic City this year; in the event that Trump Taj Mahal were to close, only seven would remain in the city.
Yahoo Poker Coming Off US Market Amid Classic Game Elimination
Yahoo will remove poker and other games from its collection that is online on 31. (Image: Yahoo.com)
Yahoo Poker will be removed the market at the conclusion of the as Yahoo has announced that they will be eliminating a number of their older games at that time year. The move comes not long after having a strong marketing push for the overall game, one that prompted speculation that the Internet company could be looking to enter the world of real money online gambling.
‘As of December 31st, 2014, Yahoo Games will no longer offer the Yahoo Classic Games including Yahoo Poker, Yahoo Pool and Yahoo Bingo on internet or mobile devices,’ read a statement on the main Yahoo Poker page. The knowledge also reappeared in a pop-up message for players once the game packed.
Marketing Drive Suggested Big Plans for Poker
Yahoo Poker has been around in various forms for quite some time, dating back to at least the 1990s that are late. However, the site just recently started getting a noticeable marketing push that made some wonder if the business had bigger plans because of its Texas Hold’em game. In November, ads for the game started showing up on Yahoo’s dream football web pages, which is some of the company’s most valuable ad room for attracting young male consumers, the exact same demographic usually targeted for internet poker.
This version of Yahoo Poker shared much more in common with a game that is social any real money poker site, however. Players casino-online-australia.net could purchase extra potato chips and a handful of other perks in the game, but there had been no awards and no games were actually played for cash. But at least one analyst saw the advertising push as being a sign that Yahoo might be looking to do more within the poker world.
‘The new Yahoo Texas Hold’em portal could be effortlessly monetized if the legal environment were to become more favorable,’ wrote Marc Edelman, a co-employee Professor of Law at the town University of the latest York’s Baruch College, in a piece for Forbes. ‘It seems for now that Yahoo is certainly preparing in advance for the potential day of widespread, legal online poker.’
That analysis may have already been a bit optimistic, as Yahoo has made no indication that they truly are moving towards providing real money online poker or gambling anywhere in the world. However it established speculation throughout the poker community, with some players saying they might welcome a new heavyweight in the planet of online gambling.
Yahoo Poker Could Return in Brand New Form
The announced shutdown, nonetheless, should put an end to speculation that is such at least for the present time. According to Yahoo, the move ended up being made because many of their games that are classic now outdated. Because the business’s sites will have higher security requirements and make use of brand new supporting technologies, these games are now ‘incompatible, insecure with no longer functioning correctly.’
Forbes also quoted an email by Yahoo Games PR Manager Sean Hamel, which said that the main explanation the games were being dropped was ‘to streamline our item offerings and focus our energy and resources on developing for Yahoo’s core experiences.’
For many who will miss Yahoo’s poker game, there might be hope into the future. While no details are yet available, Yahoo has stated that new games will be launched that might better meet their software and security requirements. It’s likely that these games will mostly undertake the modern ‘free-to-play’ format that allows players buying in-game perks for genuine money, a model known well to players of games like Farmville and Candy Crush.
Assemblyman Mike Gatto Wants California Online Poker Bill Passage in 2015
California Assemblyman Mike Gatto, sponsor of Bill AB 9, which will be yet another make an effort to legalize online poker in the Golden State. (Image: AP/Rich Pedroncelli)
A bill that is new seeks to legalize California on-line poker in 2015 has been introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto this week. Bill AB 9, dubbed the ‘Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2015,’ aims to establish a regulatory framework that would enable the offering of internet poker for players located physically within the state’s borders.
If passed, it would allow games to be installed and operating within 180 days.
‘Ca has led the world in internet and computer innovation, and there’s no valid reason why we can’t carry on to lead having a sensible online-poker framework,’ announced Gatto. ‘AB 9 borrows from time-tested business practices that will improve our government finances and keep our money inside our house state.’
The bill adopts much of the language utilized by previously proposed legislation that have thus far foundered in California.
It limits potential licensees to existing tribal operators and cardrooms, and pledges become tough on ‘bad actors,’ outlining the unwelcome status of ‘any brand name or business name, including any derivative brand name with the same or similar wording, or any trade or service mark, software, technology, operational system, consumer information, or other data obtained, derived, or developed directly or indirectly from, or associated with, any procedure that has accepted a bet or engaged in an economic transaction related to that bet from any person into the United States on any form of Internet gaming after December 31, 2006.’
Door Slightly Ajar
This language appears to preclude PokerStars’ entry towards the market, but the bill also includes a clause stating that regulators will have a way to waive the application of the above paragraph provided that an operator’s ‘use of the covered assets associated with intrastate Web gaming will not adversely affect the integrity of, or undermine public confidence in, intrastate Internet poker or otherwise pose a threat to your public interest or towards the effective regulation and control of intrastate Internet poker. at first glance’
In other words: ‘We actually might let PokerStars in, but only like it,’ is the implied message if we feel. The door is far from wide available, but it’s slightly ajar.
The PokerStars question has been a huge sticking point that has prevented stakeholders from agreeing in the language of previous bills, also it’s among the reasons online poker hadsstalled in California in the past.
A sizable coalition of tribal operators is vehemently opposed to a regulated on-line poker space that might add PokerStars. On the other hand of the coin, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, allied because of the largest poker clubs in the state, including the Commerce, the Bike and the Hawaiian Gardens, have finalized an agreement with PokerStars to work together in a possible post-regulatory environment.
The San Manuel Band also recently defected to the PokerStars camp. However, it might well be there is enough within the language of this bill to appease both camps.
Land-Based Sign-Ups Only
Another aspect that is crucial of bill is players will be expected to generate reports in individual at the poker web site’s affiliated land-based cardroom, a measure presumably made to restrict underage play, but which might well stymie the development of the game in the state. However, Gatto is confident that this bill could finally make 2015 the that California gets fully legal, regulated, and taxed online poker year.