The management of Trump Taj Mahal sought approval to end payments to the casino union pension fund.
US Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross in Wilmington, Delaware, said he didn’t have the authority to allow the gambling company to reject part of its collective bargain agreement, but added that he would consider a request to reject the agreement as a whole. The judge is expected to make a decision on a hearing scheduled for October 14.
Obtaining approval to end pension payments was a key requirement of businessman Carl Icahn, offered to spend $100 million to rescue the now-bankrupt casino. However, the deal comes with considerable strings attached, as the businessman expects tax breaks, $25 million in funds from a state agency, as well as givebacks from the workers’ union. Experts believe it is unlikely that his proposal will be accepted, considering New Jersey’s current taxation policy and gambling laws.
Unless a buyer is found, the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort will become the fifth casino to close this year in Atlantic City. Trump Entertainment has threatened to shut it down at the middle of November.
Bloomberg: Trump Casinos Loss on Pension Threatens Bankruptcy Plan
According to the latest gambling news, the owner of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal Casino was denied court approval to stop contributing to the union pension plan. The request was a key point in the company’s restructuring strategy, as Trump Entertainment is struggling to recover from bankruptcy.
Judge Kevin Gross ruled that eliminating just the pension from the collective-bargaining agreement is not an option. The measure would violate bankruptcy code, which states that a contract has to be considered as a whole.
“The court does not have authority to reject a portion of a CBA,” Gross ruled. However, Trump Entertainment’s efforts to scrap the entire union deal – which includes pensions, too – will be reconsidered at another hearing, on October 14.
The company is trying to figure out how to solve its financial difficulties and save the Taj Mahal. Court filings have revealed that the union contract costs about $15 million a year in health, welfare and other benefits, and an additional $5 million in pension payments. But if the casino doesn’t find a buyer or a way to cut costs, closing will be inevitable.
Trump Entertainment claims obtaining concessions from the union is “absolutely critical” in the restructuring process.
NY Post: Carl Icahn might save Trump Taj Mahal under right conditions
Businessman Carl Icahn is ready to save the Trump Taj Mahal from bankruptcy, but only under certain circumstances. The investor said he was willing to invest $100 million in the Atlantic City casino, provided the unions and local authorities are prepared to make some big concessions.
Trump Entertainment Resorts, the owner of the ailing casino, was forced to file for bankruptcy on September 9, but has come up with a restructuring plan that needs Icahn’s money, the union’s cooperation and the collaboration of Atlantic City authorities to succeed. If all plans fail, the closure of the casino will result in the loss of more than 4,000 jobs.
Trump Entertainment Resorts owns two casinos in the gambling Mecca, and both of them have failed. The Trump Plaza was closed recently, and the situation of the Taj Mahal is not too optimistic either. The business is projected to lose $7 million every month, even with just one casino in operation, and that figure doesn’t include debt payments to Icahn or property taxes.
In order to get out of the financial mess, the company wants to stop paying roughly $10,000 a year for each union employee, and to stop pension contributions.
GamingZion: Brookfield is Topping Bidders for the Revel in Atlantic City
It seems like Atlantic City financial problems are the highlight of American news, as casinos shut down one after the other in the former gambling kingdom. The Showboat closed at the beginning of September and the Revel is still hoping to find a way out of the mess it got itself into.
The casino opened its doors to customers just two years ago, and it has already filed for bankruptcy twice. An expensive investment that cost $2.4 billion to build, the venue has never succeeded in becoming a profitable business.
While the gambling business has failed, there might still be hope for the building that housed all those gaming tables and poker rooms. The casino’s owners said they intended to sell it to a customer who would be able to keep the building in use.
An auction held last Wednesday awarded the property to Brookfield Asset Management, after the company trumped Florida real estate developer Glenn Straub’s $90 million bid. The businessman threatened to challenge the outcome of the auction in court.
The management of Trump Taj Mahal sought approval to end payments to the casino union pension fund.
US Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross in Wilmington, Delaware, said he didn’t have the authority to allow the gambling company to reject part of its collective bargain agreement, but added that he would consider a request to reject the agreement as a whole. The judge is expected to make a decision on a hearing scheduled for October 14.
Obtaining approval to end pension payments was a key requirement of businessman Carl Icahn, offered to spend $100 million to rescue the now-bankrupt casino. However, the deal comes with considerable strings attached, as the businessman expects tax breaks, $25 million in funds from a state agency, as well as givebacks from the workers’ union. Experts believe it is unlikely that his proposal will be accepted, considering New Jersey’s current taxation policy and gambling laws.
Unless a buyer is found, the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort will become the fifth casino to close this year in Atlantic City. Trump Entertainment has threatened to shut it down at the middle of November.
Bloomberg: Trump Casinos Loss on Pension Threatens Bankruptcy Plan
According to the latest gambling news, the owner of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal Casino was denied court approval to stop contributing to the union pension plan. The request was a key point in the company’s restructuring strategy, as Trump Entertainment is struggling to recover from bankruptcy.
Judge Kevin Gross ruled that eliminating just the pension from the collective-bargaining agreement is not an option. The measure would violate bankruptcy code, which states that a contract has to be considered as a whole.
“The court does not have authority to reject a portion of a CBA,” Gross ruled. However, Trump Entertainment’s efforts to scrap the entire union deal – which includes pensions, too – will be reconsidered at another hearing, on October 14.
The company is trying to figure out how to solve its financial difficulties and save the Taj Mahal. Court filings have revealed that the union contract costs about $15 million a year in health, welfare and other benefits, and an additional $5 million in pension payments. But if the casino doesn’t find a buyer or a way to cut costs, closing will be inevitable.
Trump Entertainment claims obtaining concessions from the union is “absolutely critical” in the restructuring process.
NY Post: Carl Icahn might save Trump Taj Mahal under right conditions
Businessman Carl Icahn is ready to save the Trump Taj Mahal from bankruptcy, but only under certain circumstances. The investor said he was willing to invest $100 million in the Atlantic City casino, provided the unions and local authorities are prepared to make some big concessions.
Trump Entertainment Resorts, the owner of the ailing casino, was forced to file for bankruptcy on September 9, but has come up with a restructuring plan that needs Icahn’s money, the union’s cooperation and the collaboration of Atlantic City authorities to succeed. If all plans fail, the closure of the casino will result in the loss of more than 4,000 jobs.
Trump Entertainment Resorts owns two casinos in the gambling Mecca, and both of them have failed. The Trump Plaza was closed recently, and the situation of the Taj Mahal is not too optimistic either. The business is projected to lose $7 million every month, even with just one casino in operation, and that figure doesn’t include debt payments to Icahn or property taxes.
In order to get out of the financial mess, the company wants to stop paying roughly $10,000 a year for each union employee, and to stop pension contributions.
GamingZion: Brookfield is Topping Bidders for the Revel in Atlantic City
It seems like Atlantic City financial problems are the highlight of American news, as casinos shut down one after the other in the former gambling kingdom. The Showboat closed at the beginning of September and the Revel is still hoping to find a way out of the mess it got itself into.
The casino opened its doors to customers just two years ago, and it has already filed for bankruptcy twice. An expensive investment that cost $2.4 billion to build, the venue has never succeeded in becoming a profitable business.
While the gambling business has failed, there might still be hope for the building that housed all those gaming tables and poker rooms. The casino’s owners said they intended to sell it to a customer who would be able to keep the building in use.
An auction held last Wednesday awarded the property to Brookfield Asset Management, after the company trumped Florida real estate developer Glenn Straub’s $90 million bid. The businessman threatened to challenge the outcome of the auction in court.
Build at a cost of $2.4 billion two years ago, the Revel Casino was bought by a Canadian company at a price of just $110 million.
About 8,000 Atlantic City casino employees have lost their jobs so far this year, but there’s new hope for them now that the Revel Casino Hotel has a new owner. Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management has won the auction for the now bankrupt venue, with an offer of $110 million.
After filing for bankruptcy for the second time since it opened in 2012, the Revel finally closed its doors on September 2. The casino had been in business for just two years, and is one of four Atlantic City gambling venues to shut down this year.
According to gambling news, the Trump Taj Mahal may be the fifth one, with owners threatening to close it on November 13.
CBC News: Brookfield submits top bid for closed Atlantic City casino Revel
Brookfield Asset Management, a company based in Toronto, has won the auction for the Revel Casino Hotel located in New Jersey’s Atlantic City, with a bid of $110 million. The casino filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and was looking for a new buyer.
Although the initial deadline was Monday, the auction was extended into its third day on Wednesday. This was when Brookfield was revealed as the company that submitted the winning bid. Having $200 billion in assets under management, the Canadian company owns the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, as well as the Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
“Revel is a brand new trophy asset on the beachfront, which we are acquiring at a substantial discount to replacement cost,” company spokesman Andy Willis told the press.
“We’re not currently in a position to discuss the business plan as we continue to explore various options [but] we will be in discussions with all parties and partners involved to formulate a feasible plan that ensures the long term viability of this property as a resort destination.”
Along with Brookfield, several other companies have been trying to get their hands on the casino. The gambling venue cost $2.4 billion to build, so the price Brookfield paid was much lower. Its original bid was at $98 million, but the company sweetened the offer to $98 million in order to secure the deal.
RTT News: WSJ: Brookfield Among Four Bidders Vying For Atlantic City’s Revel Casino
Four bidders competed in an auction to acquire Atlantic City’s Revel casino and hotel, after the business went bankrupt this year.
Canadian company Brookfield Asset Management, who owns the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, was the front runner in the auction, according to an article published in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. The company has topped Florida-based real estate developer Glenn Straub’s $90 million bid.
Straub offered to buy Revel casino hotel in a $90 million deal that was supposed to help the casino exit bankruptcy. For some time, he was the lead bidder, but now other takers have stepped up with better solutions. Apart from Brookfield, the casino’s management has received offers from a real estate investor from the Meruelo family, Richard Meruelo, and from a New Jersey real estate developer.
According to Revel’s bankruptcy filing, the casino’s value dropped from $2.4 billion to as low as $450 million. Experts predicted that the business would not be able to get back on its feet until 2017. The Revel was never among the city’s most profitable venues; it has had financial troubles ever since it opened to huge fanfare in April 2012, with a $2.4 billion investment.
By June 2014, the Revel was filing for bankruptcy for the second time, and on September 2 the casino closed because it had received no suitable bids to recover from its financial problems.
Wall Street Journal: Four Bidders Vying for Atlantic City’s Revel Casino
Things are heating up at the auction to sell the now bankrupt Revel Casino in Atlantic City. Newspapers wrote the auction has been shrouded in secrecy from the very beginning, sparking a dispute between the casino and lead bidder Glenn Straub.
“Our topping offer of $95 million will also contain terms giving priority to workers who lost their jobs when Revel shut down,” Straub’s lawyer Craig Galle explained. According to the attorney, the Florida-based developer “is committed to helping employees and their families that were affected by the Revel bankruptcy.”
An affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management has recently entered the bidding, topping the initial $90 million offer. However, if Straub loses the auction, he is entitled to a $3 million breakup fee for serving as the lead bidder.
The real estate developer’s attorneys are claiming Revel has broken an earlier agreement to disclose information about competing bids. “Any degree of confidence in [Revel’s lawyers’] ability to conduct a fair auction is nonexistent,” they told reporters of the Wall Street Journal.
But Revel lawyer John Cunningham has disputed allegations that the auction was conducted in an unfair manner. “This is a baseless objection,” he said. “The allegations of unethical conduct are just absolutely false.”
Build at a cost of $2.4 billion two years ago, the Revel Casino was bought by a Canadian company at a price of just $110 million.
About 8,000 Atlantic City casino employees have lost their jobs so far this year, but there’s new hope for them now that the Revel Casino Hotel has a new owner. Toronto-based Brookfield Asset Management has won the auction for the now bankrupt venue, with an offer of $110 million.
After filing for bankruptcy for the second time since it opened in 2012, the Revel finally closed its doors on September 2. The casino had been in business for just two years, and is one of four Atlantic City gambling venues to shut down this year.
According to gambling news, the Trump Taj Mahal may be the fifth one, with owners threatening to close it on November 13.
CBC News: Brookfield submits top bid for closed Atlantic City casino Revel
Brookfield Asset Management, a company based in Toronto, has won the auction for the Revel Casino Hotel located in New Jersey’s Atlantic City, with a bid of $110 million. The casino filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and was looking for a new buyer.
Although the initial deadline was Monday, the auction was extended into its third day on Wednesday. This was when Brookfield was revealed as the company that submitted the winning bid. Having $200 billion in assets under management, the Canadian company owns the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, as well as the Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
“Revel is a brand new trophy asset on the beachfront, which we are acquiring at a substantial discount to replacement cost,” company spokesman Andy Willis told the press.
“We’re not currently in a position to discuss the business plan as we continue to explore various options [but] we will be in discussions with all parties and partners involved to formulate a feasible plan that ensures the long term viability of this property as a resort destination.”
Along with Brookfield, several other companies have been trying to get their hands on the casino. The gambling venue cost $2.4 billion to build, so the price Brookfield paid was much lower. Its original bid was at $98 million, but the company sweetened the offer to $98 million in order to secure the deal.
RTT News: WSJ: Brookfield Among Four Bidders Vying For Atlantic City’s Revel Casino
Four bidders competed in an auction to acquire Atlantic City’s Revel casino and hotel, after the business went bankrupt this year.
Canadian company Brookfield Asset Management, who owns the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, was the front runner in the auction, according to an article published in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. The company has topped Florida-based real estate developer Glenn Straub’s $90 million bid.
Straub offered to buy Revel casino hotel in a $90 million deal that was supposed to help the casino exit bankruptcy. For some time, he was the lead bidder, but now other takers have stepped up with better solutions. Apart from Brookfield, the casino’s management has received offers from a real estate investor from the Meruelo family, Richard Meruelo, and from a New Jersey real estate developer.
According to Revel’s bankruptcy filing, the casino’s value dropped from $2.4 billion to as low as $450 million. Experts predicted that the business would not be able to get back on its feet until 2017. The Revel was never among the city’s most profitable venues; it has had financial troubles ever since it opened to huge fanfare in April 2012, with a $2.4 billion investment.
By June 2014, the Revel was filing for bankruptcy for the second time, and on September 2 the casino closed because it had received no suitable bids to recover from its financial problems.
Wall Street Journal: Four Bidders Vying for Atlantic City’s Revel Casino
Things are heating up at the auction to sell the now bankrupt Revel Casino in Atlantic City. Newspapers wrote the auction has been shrouded in secrecy from the very beginning, sparking a dispute between the casino and lead bidder Glenn Straub.
“Our topping offer of $95 million will also contain terms giving priority to workers who lost their jobs when Revel shut down,” Straub’s lawyer Craig Galle explained. According to the attorney, the Florida-based developer “is committed to helping employees and their families that were affected by the Revel bankruptcy.”
An affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management has recently entered the bidding, topping the initial $90 million offer. However, if Straub loses the auction, he is entitled to a $3 million breakup fee for serving as the lead bidder.
The real estate developer’s attorneys are claiming Revel has broken an earlier agreement to disclose information about competing bids. “Any degree of confidence in [Revel’s lawyers’] ability to conduct a fair auction is nonexistent,” they told reporters of the Wall Street Journal.
But Revel lawyer John Cunningham has disputed allegations that the auction was conducted in an unfair manner. “This is a baseless objection,” he said. “The allegations of unethical conduct are just absolutely false.”