Poolside and restaurant gambling, skill-based slots, fantasy sports betting and hidden VIP gambling rooms are among Hard Rock International’s initial plans for its remake of the former Trump Taj Mahal casino.
Hard Rock bought it in March for $50 million from billionaire investor Carl Icahn. That’s about 4 cents on the dollar from the $1.2 billion Trump spent to open it in 1990. A summer 2018 opening is planned.
At a major casino conference last month in Atlantic City, Hard Rock Chairman Jim Allen said his company had sent a letter to the state Division of Gaming Enforcement outlining plans it has for the Taj Mahal remake that it wanted to discuss with gambling regulators.
The company also plans new slot products not currently available in New Jersey, but state regulators blacked out details. One of the proposals includes technology designed to increase the amount of time customers spend on the device. Another includes offering gambling in areas off the casino floor “for traditional gaming or other types of gaming, i.e. sports, skill-based gaming, etc.”