Former Tropicana operator seeks to regain control of casino

The former operator of the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City intends to petition the New Jersey Casino Control Commission to retake control of the resort, Newsday reported this week.

Tropicana Entertainment filed papers on September 5 in US Bankruptcy Court in Delaware informing the court of its intention to petition for control of the Tropicana on the grounds that William Yung III, a former officer of Tropicana Entertainment, stepped down from his position and relinquished his right to control the Tropicana, although he still owned it, the paper said.

Controversial decisions made by Yung when he managed the resort, including laying off close to 1,000 employees shortly after acquiring the property in January 2007, led the commission to refuse to renew the resort’s gaming license in December 2007.

The commission’s decision followed numerous complaints about cleanliness and service at the Tropicana, which is being overseen by retired state Supreme Court Justice Gary Stein, who is seeking a buyer for the property.

Tropicana argued in its court filing that with Yung out of the picture, the commission’s reasons for denying the license to the casino were eliminated, according to Newsday.