One is whether Trump has the right to hang his own name on a new rival casino. With the lawsuits, this animosity appears to have been channeled into two specific issues. “Underlying the whole thing,” says analyst Lee, “is that they don’t like each other.” The dispute also shows how personal pettiness can interfere with an otherwise solid business enterprises. We positioned the (Harrah’s-Trump) casino in the mind of the people so that they identified it with Trump and now he wants to take that away.” There are some people who want to experience the Trump phenomenon. “There are some people who simply wouldn’t know where they are. “There are, undoubtedly, some people who will mistakenly go to the new Trump II because of the advertising that they’re doing,” said Joseph Sahid, a Harrah’s lawyer, during a June 28 court hearing. In that time the island resort’s 11 casinos must hustle to get a piece of the gambler’s change.Ĭasino people know that their claim on the customer’s attention is ephemeral, and likely to be muddied by the presence of two Trump casinos (not to mention two Harrah’s).

Unlike Las Vegas, where gambling junkets can be several-day affairs, the average customer drives or takes a bus into Atlantic City and stays only six hours. Hanging over all this are the realities of the Atlantic City market. But casino analysts say the talks have broken down over price. Both sides have denied the other’s assertions.īarry says there have been negotiations over a buy-out of the partnership interests by one party or the other.

Harrah’s contends, in turn, that Trump has tried to hire away Trump Plaza workers for the Castle, attempted to misappropriate lists of Trump Plaza customers and high rollers for his new building, and has balked at constructing a long-planned and critical parking garage for the Plaza to force Harrah’s to buy him out at an inflated price. Trump also contends that Harrah’s reservation clerks steer customers to Harrah’s Marina, and that the company reserves its best employees for its solely owned casino. “Our theory is they’ve been mismanaging the facility trying to force Donald out,” Barry says.

Trump contends that Harrah’s mismanagement has been deliberate. The case has produced some nasty allegations.

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