In 1985, competing hotel giant Hilton was finishing up construction of its own $320 million casino nearby. At the time it was the biggest casino in Atlantic City history.
In 1984, the $210-million 39-story Harrah’s at Trump Plaza opened its doors. He struck a partnership with Harrah’s, the gambling arm of hotel giant Holiday Inn, to operate the facility after he completed construction. Trump wanted in, and after buying up land near the end of the Atlantic City Expressway with plans to build his own casino, in 1982 he got a license to open up shop. New Jersey voters supported a referendum to legalize casinos in Atlantic City in 1976 and by the beginning of the 1980s, casino construction was booming.
