In retrospect, a fair bit of the licensing process was smoke and mirrors with regard to who was approved and denied. Related: You’re FIRED! TRUMP PLAZA, Atlantic City CLOSES! Ironically, Donald Trump was the “golden boy” of casino licensing in the State of New Jersey, even when others like Hilton and Hefner were denied licenses. This meant there was a “rigorous” licensing process for gaming licenses, one that eventually would deny a license to Hefner and Playboy. One of the biggest concerns of the State of New Jersey Casino Control Commission upon it’s creation was to prevent organized crime influence with regard to gaming establishments in New Jersey.
When casino gaming was signed into law in New Jersey in 1977 ( The New Jersey Casino Control Act) Atlantic City was only the second state in the United States with casino gambling. Playboy Casino Atlantic City opened with a provisional gaming license, and after a rather lengthy and slow licensing process Playboy was denied a permanent license.
Photograph ©2017 Michael Trager | The Casino Control Act
