In the latest of many deadlines, Trump Taj Mahal has pushed its closing date back by another week, from Dec. 12 to Dec. 20. (Given that it has closed one of its hotel towers, we should not be surprised that the Taj is cutting back on workers’ hours.) It’s also still cadging for tax breaks from New Jersey, despite several strong indications that the state has no appetite for bailing out a casino. By winding down its arrangements with Betfair and Ultimate Gaming, the Taj will have access to an extra $1.4 million. That money buys it another week. Betfair has since moved its online-casino games to the Golden Nugget‘s Web site. As for Betfair’s poker site, it no longer exists. Toward the end, its “rake” was literally next to nothing, literally nothing in October.
* After much pre-trial bluster, most of the defendants in the World Cup betting caper at Caesars Palace folded like a pup tent. Five of the eight defendants pleaded guilty to one felony count and a passel of misdemeanors. An eighth, Wai Kin Yong, had the charges against him dropped. That leaves alleged ringleader Paul Phua and son Darren Phua. Their attorneys continue to push back vigorously against the prosecution’s case, arguing that the feds misled a judge into issuing the search warrant that turned up a beehive of electronic gear in a Caesars high-roller villa.
