Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City has filed paperwork to lay off more than 1,000 workers in prelude to a likely shut down in mid-September.
Trump Entertainment Resorts started notifying workers by mail on Monday to let them know that the hotel and casino, one of the largest in the area, expects to close, according to the company. A notice filed with the state said that 1,153 workers will lose their jobs.
If it does shut down, the Trump Plaza would join a handful of other big name Atlantic City resorts that have fallen on hard times after suffering damage from a series of storms as well as lost revenue to competition in several nearby states that have recently legalized gambling. Pennsylvania, for example, recent passed New Jersey to become the country’s second-largest gambling market, after Nevada.
Donald Trump, who founded Trump Entertainment Resorts and formerly served as its chairman, no longer controls the company and has only a 10% stake in it. In a statement, the Trump Entertainment said it has been reviewing alternatives for the property, but that it expects to terminate operations of the resort. However, it said that no final decision has been made.
The news is just the latest in string of blows to Atlantic City, which was once a gambling mecca. Earlier this year, The Atlantic Club casino closed. Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment is slated to shut down the Showboat Atlantic City later this summer. One-third of the city’s 12 casinos could be lost if the Revel casino, currently looking to be bought out of bankruptcy, joins the other three casinos in closure. Revel recently started its sale process, but also sent notices to more than 3,100 employees warning that they could be terminated as soon as mid-August if no buyer is found.
If all four casinos close, more than 8,000 jobs combined could go with them, according to The New York Times.