Porn impresario Larry Flynt says he’ll back out of his deal to buy the Normandie Casino after being “treated as a second-class citizen” by local politicians.

Last week saw Flynt, the founder of the Hustler adult entertainment business, announced as the buyer of the Normandie Casino in Gardena, California. But this week saw Flynt accuse Gardena city council of moving the goalposts by changing the card room’s municipal tax obligations.

Flynt, who already owns the Hustler Casino in Gardena, has objected to the city’s plans to replace their standard 12% gaming revenue tax with a minimum monthly payment of $800k from the two casinos. To soften the blow, the city offered Flynt a discount on its 12% rate if either property’s monthly revenue exceeds $2m.

On Thursday, Flynt addressed the city council, warning them that he was prepared to walk away from the deal to buy the Normandie, which Flynt has already begun rebranding as Larry Flynt’s Lucky Lady Casino. Flynt warned that “400 people are going to be out of a job” if he made good on his threat.