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Atlantic City Casinos in Bidding War for Beach Concessions

12 April 2002

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – As reported by the Press of Atlantic City: "Bob Boughner calls it competitive marketing. Mark Brown calls it financial backstabbing.

"Brown, chief operating officer for the Trump casinos, was still incensed Thursday, two days after Borgata forced him into a winning bid of $101,000 for the three-year beach concession in front of Trump Plaza.

"Most times, the city-auctioned concessions fetch only the minimum bids of $10,800 or $7,200, Deputy Solicitor Joseph Dougherty said.

"Worse, says Brown, is that Borgata isn't even close to opening and when it does open will be located a mile from the beach.

"…`I would have paid a half-million to keep that beach, but the point is, it's not right. They came to town and said they're going to show everybody how to do things the right way, and this is their first thing?

"`This isn't how we do things in Atlantic City,' Brown said. `Caesars could have come to the table and outbid Plaza but they didn't because it's not right. Borgata came to the table and didn't care about Plaza and didn't care about Caesars. It's a smack in the face.'

"…For Trump Plaza, the beach is an expected amenity for its hotel guests. For Borgata, it's a prime tract of sandy advertising space where beachgoers rent 150 umbrellas and 150 chairs with the Borgata logo and Web site address.

"…The verbal bidding for the Plaza beach began at $10,800. Bids increased in increments of $500, then $1,000…"

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