Aging rock star Rod Stewart had now officially had the last word on stage at Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal Etess Arena, after Carl Icahn, the casino owner, decided to shut down one of the most famous casinos in Atlantic City. His concert was held this Saturday night, after which the arena was officially closed for business, regardless of the fact that a number of performances were scheduled in the upcoming weeks.
The decision to close the 5,200-seat arena came after the labor unrest of 1,000 casino union members who went on strike against the Taj Mahal Casino this June demanding better pension benefits and health insurance. The iconic venue was the only employer out of five targeted by union members to fail in reaching a deal with the workforce, which lead to a period of verbal clashes between the owner and workers.
Ever since the beginning of August, the casino started cancelling performances scheduled for the Taj Mahal Arena and the Xandu Theater in the upcoming months, and officials have since announced that the final closing date will be the 10th of October. But after cancelling every act after Stewart, including Flo Rida and Dave Cook, the famous British rocker was given the role of closing the Arena for good.
The closing of Taj Mahal is nothing new to Atlantic City locals who’ve seen almost the exact same story only two years prior, when the previous owners Trump Entertainment Resorts filed for bankruptcy, began cancelling shows, and announced an official closure date. Carl Icahn then stepped in and tried to stabilize the casino with cash infusions and introducing savings which consequently lead to the strike and its second closure.