Report Showboat will close Sunday as planned

Despite word that “an interested party” had toured Showboat Casino Hotel, a published report says the gaming hall will still close this weekend as planned.A spokeswoman for Showboat’s parent company, Caesars Entertainment Corp., told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the casino will shut its doors at 4 p.m. Sunday. It will become one of three gaming halls to close in Atlantic City by mid-September.

RELATED: It’s official: Showboat closing in August, more than 2,000 jobs will be lost

That news comes after “an interested party” was given a tour of the 1,329-room, Mardi Gras-themed casino, according to an earlier AP story. Representatives for Caesars would not identify the party, but said it continues to field inquiries from potential buyers.

Employees and other critics have blasted Caesars, which owns three other casinos in the city, for closing a property that’s still profitable. But the casino and its competitors have fallen victim to the seven-year gaming revenue freefall that has besieged Atlantic City, as competition increases in the surrounding region.

RELATED: Casino closings: How low will it go? Insiders wonder which ones will survive in A.C.

Revel Casino Hotel, the failing megaresort that opened in 2012, plans to close Tuesday under the weight of enormous debt and operating costs. Trump Plaza is closing Sept. 16.

Some 6,500 casino employees will be out of work as a result. The Atlantic Club closed in January, meaning the city will have lost one-third of its gaming halls since the year began.

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