Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City
| Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort | |
|---|---|
| File:Trump Taj Mahal Logo.Jpg | |
 View of Main Tower and Chairman Tower from the Boardwalk | |
| Address | 1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Opening date | April 2, 1990 |
| Theme | Taj Mahal, India |
| No. of rooms | 2,248[1] |
| Total gaming space | 167,321 sq ft (15,544.6 m2)[1] |
| Signature attractions | Hard Rock Cafe Steel Pier Spice Road Shops |
| Casino type | Land |
| Owner | Trump Entertainment Resorts |
| Operating license holder | Trump Taj Mahal Associates |
| Previous names | Resorts Taj Mahal (pre-opening) |
| Renovated in | 2008 |
| Website | http://www.trumptaj.com |
The Trump Taj Mahal (known as the The Taj or Trump Taj by locals) is a casino located at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States, in the casino area along the shore. The casino is one of two owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts. With approximately 50 regular tables and 25 tournament tables, the Taj Mahal has one of the largest poker rooms in Atlantic City, second in size only to The Borgata.
The casino was officially inaugurated in 1990, with Michael Jackson performing at the ceremonies, and was built at a total cost of nearly one billion dollars. Restaurants at the Taj include Dynasty, Il Mulino New York, Moon at Dynasty, Robert's Steakhouse, and Hard Rock Cafe.
History
Trump’s third property in Atlantic City, was wrapped in controversy prior to opening as it was part of the fight between Donald Trump and Merv Griffin along with Resorts Casino Hotel in 1988 over Resorts International. Resorts was developing and constructing the Resorts Taj Mahal Casino north of Resorts Casino Hotel on the boardwalk, but had run out of money and construction was stopped. Trump was attempting to buy the unfinished resort, along with Resorts, but Merv Griffin would not sell. Eventually, a deal was created between Trump and Griffin giving Griffin Resorts in Atlantic City and the Resorts Paradise Island with the unfinished Taj Mahal project going to Trump. The casino opened in 1990 as the Trump Taj Mahal and remained the largest and highest grossing casino in the city until the opening of The Borgata in 2003. The Chairman Tower opened in 2008, bringing the complex to over 2,000 rooms.
The casino is also the scene for a notorious baccarat session in May 1990, in which the Japanese high roller Akio Kashiwagi lost $10 million.[2] The incident was later fictionalised in Martin Scorsese's film Casino. In 2013, the Taj Mahal opened the nation's first casino strip club, featuring scantily clad dancers.[3][4]
Shooting incidents
On May 27, 2009, Ray Kot, a casino shift manager was shot and killed by 57 year old Mark Magee of Norristown, Pennsylvania. Magee claims that he killed Kot because casino executives at the Trump Taj Mahal had conspired to cheat players by manipulating the outcome of the table games.[5][6] On August 11, 2010, Magee was convicted of murder and is currently serving a minimum 30 year sentence at the New Jersey State Prison in Trenton.[7] He is tentantively scheduled to be released on May 28, 2039 at the age of 87. On October 16, 2010, a small park on the Trump Taj Mahal property was created and dedicated to the memory of Ray Kot.
On September 18, 2011, a man was shot to death and a woman was wounded during an apparent carjacking inside the parking garage of the casino. The man, 28 year-old Sunil Rattu, and the woman, 24-year-old Radha Ghetia, were held up as they left the casino, and then forced to drive to a nearby alley where Rattu was shot dead, while Ghetia was shot to the upper part of her body. Ghetia was treated for her injuries and has since recovered.[8]
In popular culture
Trump Taj Mahal has also been featured in a number of movies, including Rounders (film) which was released in 1998. They filmed a number of scenes in the poker room [9] and on the casino floor.
A portion of the Indian movie Aa Ab Laut Chalen was shot here.
New building
The Trump Taj Mahal added a new building called the Chairman Tower. It is a large blue building and prices usually go from up to $10.00 more than the original TAJ Tower.
Gallery
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The Trump Taj Mahal, seen from the beach. -
The Taj Mahal, as seen from the Fairfield Resorts. -
The Trump Taj Mahal, as seen from just beyond Pacific Avenue. -
Entrance to the Trump Taj Mahal at night -
Rear of Taj Mahal -
View of The Taj from the Beach.
See also
References
- ^ a b Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort - Casino City
- ^ The impact of a finite bankroll on an even-money game
- ^ Augenstein, Seth. "Nation's first casino strip club coming to Atlantic City" in The Star-Ledger (4 July 2013). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ Parry, Wayne. "A.C.'s Taj Mahal looks to score with strip club" in The Philadelphia Inquirer (27 August 2013). Retrieved 27 August 2013.
- ^ Taj Mahal Shooter Gets 30 Years Behind Bars
- ^ Man admits killing casino worker.
- ^ New Jersey Department of Corrections, Mark E. Magee Offender Info Sheet
- ^ http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/deadly_atlantic_city_carjacking_eELC52wvlYfBhFGZApP81M
- ^ Trump Taj Mahal Poker Room
39°21′31″N 74°25′11″W / 39.358653°N 74.419777°W
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