Trump Entertainment Resorts
A defunct American casino and hospitality company that operated branded gaming resorts, principally in Atlantic City.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Trump Entertainment Resorts was an American gambling and hospitality company associated with Donald Trump’s casino interests. It was established in 1995 as Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, a publicly traded company created to own and operate several Trump-branded gaming properties. After a 2004 restructuring, the company adopted the Trump Entertainment Resorts name and Donald Trump’s ownership and operational role were substantially reduced, although the business continued to license his name and likeness. The company grew out of Trump’s acquisition and development of Atlantic City casino properties during the 1980s and 1990s. Its portfolio included Trump Plaza, Trump Taj Mahal, and the property originally known as Trump Castle, later renamed Trump Marina. It also operated or held interests in Trump World’s Fair in Atlantic City, Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana, Trump 29 in Coachella, California, and other gaming ventures. The portfolio combined hotel accommodation, casino gambling, restaurants, entertainment, and resort facilities, with Atlantic City serving as the company’s main geographic center. The company’s expansion was heavily dependent on debt, particularly in connection with the construction and opening of the Taj Mahal. The resort opened in 1990 after construction costs approached $1 billion, and its financing structure left the business vulnerable when the gaming market weakened and interest costs became difficult to manage. Trump’s casino predecessors entered bankruptcy in 1991, and the successor company later sought Chapter 11 protection in 2004, 2009, and 2014. These restructurings repeatedly transferred economic control away from Trump and toward lenders and other investors. During the mid-2000s, Trump Entertainment attempted to reduce debt and simplify its operations. It ended its management involvement with the Spotlight 29 Casino, sold its Indiana casino, and later sold Trump Marina to Landry’s Restaurants in 2011. The company also explored a sale of Trump Plaza and considered strategic alternatives as financial pressure continued. Its 2009 bankruptcy produced a reorganization in which Trump retained a limited equity interest and continuing rights connected with use of his name. The business entered bankruptcy again in 2014. Trump Plaza closed that year, while the Trump Taj Mahal continued as the company’s last operating casino. Trump separately sought to remove his name from the company’s casinos, alleging that the properties had deteriorated and that the licensing arrangement had been violated. After exiting bankruptcy in February 2016, Trump Entertainment became a subsidiary of Icahn Enterprises. The Taj Mahal closed permanently on October 10, 2016, ending the company’s casino operations. The property was subsequently acquired by Hard Rock International and reopened as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City in 2018. Trump Entertainment no longer operates as an active casino or hotel company. Its remaining corporate activity after the 2016 closure principally concerned administrative matters such as the transfer of customer loyalty-account points. The former Trump Plaza site was later declared hazardous, and the main tower was demolished by implosion in February 2021. The company’s history illustrates the opportunities and risks of celebrity-branded casino development, leveraged resort expansion, and repeated bankruptcy-led ownership changes.
History
Donald Trump’s casino business began before the creation of Trump Entertainment Resorts. In the early 1980s, he acquired interests in Atlantic City properties and received a New Jersey casino license in March 1982. His first major project was a casino-hotel developed with Holiday Inn and Harrah’s. It opened in 1984 and became Trump Plaza after Trump acquired Holiday Inn’s interest. In 1985, Trump purchased an incomplete Hilton casino property at the Atlantic City marina after Hilton failed to obtain a New Jersey gaming license. The property opened as Trump’s Castle and was later renamed Trump Marina. In 1988, Trump acquired the unfinished Taj Mahal project from Resorts International. The resort opened in 1990 and was promoted as a major Atlantic City casino destination, but its construction cost and junk-bond financing imposed a large debt burden. The business was further affected by an industry downturn and high interest costs. The casino operation’s leadership was also shaken in October 1989 when Stephen F. Hyde, Mark Grossinger Etess, and Jonathan Benanav died in a helicopter crash while returning from a press event connected with an Atlantic City boxing event. The corporate predecessor of Trump Entertainment Resorts was created in 1995 as Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, a publicly traded company. It initially held Trump Plaza and the developing Trump Casino in Gary, Indiana. In 1996, the company acquired the Trump Taj Mahal and purchased Trump’s Castle, including assumed debt. That year it opened Trump World’s Fair as an additional casino facility connected to Trump Plaza. The attraction closed in 1999 and was demolished in 2000. The company pursued expansion beyond Atlantic City. It submitted a proposal for a Detroit casino in 1997, but the bid was removed from consideration amid concerns about the company’s financial condition. In 1998, consultants working for the company spent money on a Cuba-related trip that was reported as violating the United States embargo. The company later agreed to acquire the Flamingo Hilton in Kansas City, but the proposed transaction failed when Missouri regulators did not approve its gaming license within the contractual period. In 2000, the company entered a management agreement for the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, California. Financial pressure remained central to the company’s history. Trump’s casino predecessors had filed for bankruptcy in 1991 following the Taj Mahal project. Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts filed again in November 2004 after unsuccessful efforts to restructure its debt. The reorganization reduced Trump’s ownership from a majority position to a minority interest. The company then changed its name to Trump Entertainment Resorts, and Trump no longer played an active operating role. In 2005, the company’s Spotlight 29 management arrangement ended when the tribe bought out the contract. Trump Entertainment also sold its Indiana casino to The Majestic Star Casino, LLC. A proposed second Indiana casino was abandoned, partly because of concerns about the company’s viability. In 2007, a possible buyout failed, after which management considered employee reductions and other cost controls. The company filed for bankruptcy again in February 2009, with reported obligations of approximately $1.2 billion. Competing reorganization proposals involved Andrew Beal, Avenue Capital Management, and Carl Icahn. Trump opposed a plan associated with Beal and Icahn partly because of concerns over use of his name and likeness. The eventual restructuring preserved a limited Trump equity position and granted continuing name-licensing rights. Trump Marina was sold to Landry’s in 2011 and subsequently became Golden Nugget Atlantic City. Trump Entertainment attempted to sell or otherwise monetize Trump Plaza in the early 2010s, but the proposed sale encountered opposition from Carl Icahn, who held a mortgage on the casinos. In 2014, Trump sued to remove his name from two casinos, alleging that they had been neglected. The company filed for bankruptcy again in September 2014, and Trump Plaza closed. In January 2016, the Third Circuit ruled that the company could reject continuing terms of an expired collective bargaining agreement with UNITE HERE Local 54 during the bankruptcy case. Trump Entertainment emerged from bankruptcy in February 2016 as an Icahn Enterprises subsidiary. The Taj Mahal, then its last operating property, closed on October 10, 2016. It was later acquired by Hard Rock International and reopened as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City in June 2018. Trump Plaza remained vacant before being declared a hazard in 2020; its principal tower was imploded in February 2021. These events marked the physical and corporate end of a company built around Trump-branded casino resorts.
- 2021
Trump Plaza tower demolished
[1]The main hotel tower of the former Trump Plaza was imploded in Atlantic City.
- 2018
Former Taj Mahal reopens as Hard Rock Atlantic City
[1]Hard Rock International reopened the former Trump Taj Mahal after acquiring and redeveloping the property.
- 2016
Company becomes an Icahn Enterprises subsidiary
[1]Trump Entertainment exited bankruptcy under Icahn Enterprises ownership.
- 2016
Final casino closes
[1]The Trump Taj Mahal closed on October 10, ending the company’s active property operations.
- 2014
Trump Plaza closes during bankruptcy
[1]Trump Entertainment filed for Chapter 11 protection and closed Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.
- 2011
Trump Marina sold
[1]Landry’s Restaurants acquired Trump Marina, later operating it as Golden Nugget Atlantic City.
- 2009
Second major Chapter 11 restructuring
[1]The company entered bankruptcy with approximately $1.2 billion in debt and was reorganized through competing creditor proposals.
- 2004
Company reorganizes and adopts Trump Entertainment Resorts name
[1]Following Chapter 11 proceedings, the company changed its name and Trump’s role became less active.
- 1995
Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts established
[1]The publicly traded predecessor to Trump Entertainment Resorts was formed.
- 1990
Trump Taj Mahal opens
[1]The Taj Mahal opened in Atlantic City after a large, debt-financed construction program.
Products and positioning
A Trump-branded casino and resort operator focused on destination gaming and hospitality, especially in Atlantic City. The business used the Trump name as a premium entertainment and lodging brand, but its expansion and financial structure were dominated by highly leveraged casino development.
Casino resort · 1984
Trump Plaza
Trump Plaza was an Atlantic City casino-hotel developed from the Holiday Inn Casino-Hotel. It became one of the company’s principal branded properties and included casino gaming, hotel accommodation, dining, and entertainment facilities. It closed in September 2014 after the company entered bankruptcy. The vacant property was later declared hazardous, and its main tower was demolished by implosion in February 2021.
Casino resort · 1990
Trump Taj Mahal
The Trump Taj Mahal was a large casino resort on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Acquired from Resorts International in unfinished form, it opened in 1990 after a construction program costing close to $1 billion. The property became the company’s final operating casino and closed permanently in October 2016. Hard Rock International later acquired and redeveloped it as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
Casino resort · 1985
Trump Marina
Originally acquired as an incomplete Hilton casino property and opened as Trump’s Castle, the Atlantic City marina resort was renamed Trump Marina in 1997. It provided casino gaming and hospitality services and was sold to Landry’s Restaurants in 2011. Under its new owner, it became Golden Nugget Atlantic City.
Casino facility · 1996
Trump World's Fair
Trump World’s Fair operated as a casino adjunct to Trump Plaza in Atlantic City while maintaining its own casino license. It opened in 1996, closed in 1999, and was demolished in 2000 as the company considered replacing it with a larger resort development.
Casino resort
Trump Casino Gary
The Gary, Indiana casino was part of the company’s effort to expand outside Atlantic City. It was sold in 2005 to The Majestic Star Casino, LLC for a reported $253 million.
Tribal casino management interest · 2000
Trump 29 Casino
Trump Entertainment operated the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella, California, under an arrangement with the Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. The tribe bought out the management agreement in 2005, and Trump formally exited the partnership in 2006.
Controversies
1998
Reported Cuba embargo violation
News reports stated that consultants working for Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts spent at least $68,000 on a trip to Cuba in apparent violation of the United States embargo. The reported arrangement allegedly connected the expenditure to charitable activity and was described as an attempt to avoid the restrictions.
Brand decisions
2014
Enter a fourth major bankruptcy proceedingStrategyBackground
Trump Entertainment faced continuing debt and operating difficulties across its remaining Atlantic City properties.
Action taken
The company filed for Chapter 11 protection and closed Trump Plaza.
Aftermath
The company emerged in 2016 under Icahn Enterprises ownership, but the Taj Mahal soon closed and the operating business effectively ended.
2011
Sell Trump MarinaM&ABackground
The company was simplifying its portfolio and seeking to address ongoing financial pressure.
Action taken
Trump Marina was sold to Landry’s Restaurants.
Aftermath
The property was renamed and operated as Golden Nugget Atlantic City.
2009
Select a creditor-backed reorganization planStrategyBackground
Trump Entertainment entered bankruptcy with approximately $1.2 billion in debt and faced competing plans from creditor groups.
Action taken
The company proceeded with a plan associated with Avenue Capital Management and retained arrangements allowing continued use of the Trump name and likeness.
Aftermath
Trump received a limited equity interest, while creditor and investor influence increased. The company later sold Trump Marina and continued reducing its operating portfolio.
Reported debt. Approximately $1.2 billion (2009 bankruptcy filing)
2004
Debt restructuring through Chapter 11StrategyBackground
High debt and difficult financing conditions led the company to explore restructuring alternatives after bondholders rejected an earlier proposal.
Action taken
The company filed for Chapter 11 protection and agreed to reduce Donald Trump’s ownership from a majority stake to a minority position.
Aftermath
The reorganized business changed its name to Trump Entertainment Resorts, while Trump ceased to play an active role in operations.
1995
Create a publicly traded casino companyStrategyBackground
Donald Trump held several casino assets and development interests, principally in Atlantic City.
Action taken
Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts was established as a public company with ownership of Trump Plaza and the developing Gary casino.
Aftermath
The company expanded its property portfolio but remained exposed to substantial casino-development debt and later underwent repeated restructurings.
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