Over a year after closing its money-losing poker room, the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City has announced the return of live games starting this Friday.
The New Jersey casino owned by Tropicana Entertainment closed its poker room in February of 2015 but is now reversing this move. Patrons will now be able to enjoy games of no-limit hold‘em, limit hold‘em, pot-limit Omaha, stud, Omaha high-low and stud high-low from 11am on May 13.
The Boardwalk property raked in $3.57 million from poker in 2014, which put it in fourth spot for the year behind the Borgata Hotel Casino And Spa with $19.87 million, Bally’s Atlantic City reporting $4.4 million and Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City on $3.8 million.
“This is an exciting time for the Trump Taj Mahal and we want our players to be a part of it,” said Tony Rodio, President and Chief Operating Officer for Tropicana Entertainment. “Our strategy is to put our customers’ interests at the heart of every decision we make as we return the Taj to its rightful place as a leading gaming and entertainment destination.”
Atlantic City casinos raked in $31.86 million from live poker in 2015, which represented a decline of over 12% year-on-year and a 27% drop when compared with 2013. In comparison, the market in Nevada is worth roughly $120 million a year while New Jersey online poker brought in $23.82 million in 2015 and $29.06 million for 2014.
At the time of shuttering its live poker room, the Trump Taj Mahal’s operation was the second largest in Atlantic City with 48 tables. Although Tropicana Entertainment did not reveal how many tables it now intends to run, it did state that it will be promoting the re-opening by giving away 50 32-inch televisions during weekends in May.