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packman

(16,296 posts)
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 02:34 PM Feb 2018

Trump's bid for Sydney casino 30 years ago rejected due to 'mafia connections




(Recently declassified papers show that) A bid by Donald Trump to build Sydney’s first casino was rejected 30 years ago after police expressed concerns about his links to the mafia.

News Corp revealed on Wednesday morning minutes of the New South Wales cabinet that show police had warned the state government against approving a 1986-87 bid by a Trump consortium to build and operate a casino in Darling Harbour.

Trump, in partnership with the Queensland construction company Kern, was one of four groups vying for the lucrative project. The NSW government dumped it from the process on 5 May 1987, along with two other bidders.


https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/16/trumps-bid-for-sydney-casino-30-years-ago-rejected-due-to-mafia-connections
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Trump's bid for Sydney casino 30 years ago rejected due to 'mafia connections (Original Post) packman Feb 2018 OP
KEEP IT cilla4progress Feb 2018 #1
Same here in Nevada. Wellstone ruled Feb 2018 #2
Apparently he's never been denied a Nevada license. Jim Lane Feb 2018 #5
Okay. Wellstone ruled Feb 2018 #6
He purchased that stock in an attempt to get around the gaming board if I remember correctly Egnever Feb 2018 #8
I don't think that's accurate. Jim Lane Feb 2018 #10
Was a long time ago Egnever Feb 2018 #11
Does he own the Vegas tower, Mr.Bill Feb 2018 #14
At this point who knows. Egnever Feb 2018 #15
I just read the Wikipedia page on it, Mr.Bill Feb 2018 #16
5th Rec Hekate Feb 2018 #3
Kickety kick malaise Feb 2018 #4
Six years ago I was working at a hotel in Las Vegas..... spanone Feb 2018 #7
This message was self-deleted by its author jayschool2013 Feb 2018 #9
He had ties to the Italian/NYC and Russian mobs. BigmanPigman Feb 2018 #12
When Mueller is done with him Mr.Bill Feb 2018 #13
 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
5. Apparently he's never been denied a Nevada license.
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 04:11 PM
Feb 2018

According to this Snopes piece, "We were unable to locate any information to substantiate the claim that Trump was ever denied a gaming license or that his Las Vegas hotel was originally planned as a casino."

In fact, at one point he was licensed in Nevada because of a stock purchase:

And several years ago, Trump was licensed as a significant shareholder of stock in the Riviera, Burnett [chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board] said. The casino no longer exists, and Trump’s license has lapsed. (Source)


 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
8. He purchased that stock in an attempt to get around the gaming board if I remember correctly
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 04:22 PM
Feb 2018

and the gaming board told him to pound sand. At least that is what they were saying here in town at the time. Was a long time ago after I first moved here.

Could all be gossip bullshit but that was the talk around town here when it went down. Vegas was a lot different then.

 

Jim Lane

(11,175 posts)
10. I don't think that's accurate.
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 04:58 PM
Feb 2018

Here's my recollection: The issue was that getting a gaming license can take a while. If an opportunity arises to buy or buy into an existing casino, or if you want to build a new one, the time involved in the licensing process may mean that the opportunity goes away. Therefore, if you think you might find yourself in that position, a solution (not unique to Trump) is to make a smaller purchase that requires licensing. The purpose is to go through the investigation and review process, and thus to have a license in your back pocket in case it becomes useful. Trump's Riviera stock purchase was small enough that he didn't need the top-level casino license, but even getting the more limited license would mean that much of the investigative work would already have been done, thus speeding the process if he later wanted a full license.

So it wasn't an attempt to get around the gaming board. It was more like the opposite -- an attempt to subject himself to the investigation and licensing process. According to the article that I linked (from the Las Vegas Sun), the attempt was successful, and he was granted the license.

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
11. Was a long time ago
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 05:07 PM
Feb 2018

And he and Steve we're not pals then and Steve had a lot of pull.

He has a tower here with no gaming and it was during the time he built that tower it was being discussed here in town.

Very hard to find articles from that time but the tower was built after that article you linked was written.

Would likely need to go to the library and look up old articles to find more info.

You might be right and it was all just gossip here in town.

That said he has a property here on the strip and there is no gaming in it.

There is however a prime opportunity to grab up a huge half built casino right behind his property right now at bargain pricing.

Mr.Bill

(24,104 posts)
14. Does he own the Vegas tower,
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 05:37 PM
Feb 2018

or is it just another one of the places where he only has a management contract for it?

 

Egnever

(21,506 posts)
15. At this point who knows.
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 05:45 PM
Feb 2018

And knowing now much more about his MO it may not actually be his property.

All I know for sure is I remember when it was being proposed here and built and there was a lot of controversy at the time. Again was a long time ago memories are not that specific.

Got me wondering now maybe I will go to the library and look into it.

spanone

(135,635 posts)
7. Six years ago I was working at a hotel in Las Vegas.....
Thu Feb 8, 2018, 04:16 PM
Feb 2018

the head of security took me up to my room to check in (I was with some bigwigs).

He pointed to the trump building out the window and said 'trump doesn't have a casino license'

I asked why and he said 'Vegas doesn't like people who have filed bankruptcy'

trump was nowhere on the radar for his 'presidential' run....



Response to packman (Original post)

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