Atlantic City’s casino count may inch back up to eight now that a consortium led by Hard Rock International (HRI) has agreed to buy the shuttered Trump Taj Mahal.
On Wednesday, the Press of Atlantic City broke the news that the Florida-based HRI had agreed to take the Taj Mahal off Carl Icahn’s hands. The media outlet quoted New Jersey state Senator Jim Whelan saying he understood the deal was a go but couldn’t get either company to confirm.
Later on, Icahn’s company Icahn Enterprises, which also controls Atlantic City’s Tropicana Casino, issued a statement saying it had “determined that we only wanted to own one property in Atlantic City. A sale of the Taj Mahal therefore represents the optimal outcome for us.”
Later still, HRI issued its own statement laying out its plans for the rebranded Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. HRI says it will invest “more than $300m to purchase, substantially renovate and re-open the casino.”