Floating casino on its way to Saipan • Florida-based company infusing $10 million to deploy the facility in the northwestern part of the island

A huge Florida-based leisure company is seriously looking at putting up a multi-million-dollar investment on Saipan, a development seen to alleviate the CNMI’s economic conditions, which had gone sour since the Asian contagion in 1997.

Executives of SunCruz Casinos were on island earlier this week to meet with key government officials where concrete plans for the establishment of a $10-million floating casino near the coast of Saipan were discussed.

The 150-foot vessel, which will be moored in an area near the Saipan International Seaport, will house a fine-dining restaurant, live entertainment center and a casino of 165 gaming machines and 25 tables.

According to SunCruz Casinos Chair Adam R. Kidan, initial infusion of investment would amount to between $10 million and $12.5 million while other business opportunities throughout the Northern Marianas are being carefully looked at for future expansions.

Mr. Kidan’s group were in the Northern Marianas in December last year to explore possible business opportunities here. Company officials also simultaneously conducted a trade visit in Guam where SunCruz Casinos also intend to bring in a floating facility.

SunCruz Casinos is primarily engaged in the operation of floating entertainment and gaming facilities in several areas in the mainland United States and other countries in Asia and the Carribbean.

Among the areas where the company operates floating casinos are: Key Largo, Hollywood, Florida; Jacksonville; Port Canaveral; Daytona Beach; Clearwater; Fort Myers; John’s Pass TI; Myrtle Beach in South Carolina; and Panama City.

SunCruz is also in the final stages of bringing its floating casino in some Asian countries like Hong Kong and the region’s casino gaming hub — Macau.

“We are continuously deploying floating casinos to areas where there are good potentials. The Northern Marianas can be a casino hub in the Pacific Region, especially with its proximity to Asia where millions play cards and machines,” said Mr. Kidan.

Part of the plans for the Northern Marianas is the training of at about 200 to 250 local workers who are promised to receive a compensation package which is above the prevailing minimum wage in the mainland US.

Mr. Kidan said the business operation will create job opportunities for local workers who may also ask to be transferred to other company-operated floating casinos in the mainland US, Asia or the Carribbean.

SunCruz Casinos, which commenced operations in 1989, is also seriously eyeing some investment opportunities in the Northern Islands which, Mr. Kidan said, hold the potential of attracting thousands of tourists because of the area’s scenic beauty.

The company intends to bring in some of its casino employees in Florida to conduct the training of local workers who will be accepted to work on Saipan’s own floating casino.

“It is important to choose where to put investments. A myriad of things have to be considered, including the potentials of an area to sustain the business, as well as the existing laws on investments,” said Mr. Kidan.

Once the floating casino is deployed and moored on Saipan, the Northern Marianas is anticipated to witness the entry of more than a million visitors every year since Mr. Kidan noted that each of the company’s vessel receives about two million visitors each year.

He added that SunCruz Casinos is also eyeing investments in the transportation sector since a reliable transport system is essential to the company’s floating casino business, which is heavily dependent on casino players from other countries.

Mr. Kidan and other executives of SunCruz Casinos will be back on Saipan to meet with other CNMI government officials, including Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio and members of the Legislature, as well as private sector leaders.

In his meeting with House Speaker Benigno R. Fitial earlier this week, he said the company is hoping to deploy the floating casino to the Northern Marianas by August this year.

The floating casino can accommodate about 1,200 guests who may partake in a fine-dining experience, enjoy the vessel’s in-house live entertainment groups, or play with hundreds of gaming machines and more than 20 tables.