Billionaire real-estate tycoon Donald Trump wants to rule online gambling in New Jersey. To that end, he is teaming up with the online gaming company, Ultimate Gaming, to operate a range of real-money casino games in New Jersey. The deal comes after Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law last month, making New Jersey the third state in the U.S. to legalize internet gambling.
Legalized online gambling in New Jersey is expected to bring about the largest expansion of legalized wagering in the state since the first casino began operating in Atlantic City in 1978. And now, Trump wants to cash in. Trump and Ultimate Gaming have held talks with Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., the company that owns Atlantic City’s Trump Taj Mahal, and Trump Plaza hotels, to operate a fully functioning online gaming market that would include casino games and poker.
“Given the way online gaming is rolling out on a state-by-state basis, we really want to keep our options open,” Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump and Executive Vice President of Development & Acquisitions at the Trump Organization, told Bloomberg. Trump and Ultimate Gaming’s deal could tap into a $3 billion market for online gambling in New Jersey
Still there is the issue of Trump’s convoluted ownership with his Atlantic City hotels. Trump Enterprise emerged from bankruptcy in 2010 and left Donald Trump as a minority investor with no management role, however, a licensing agreement signed with the company that same year left him in control of his name for online gambling, this stated by Bloomberg Businessweek.