Guam casino initiative’s defeat ‘good’ for CNMI

The defeat of the casino initiative on Guam is a good development for the CNMI tourism-wise, according to the House leadership.

“It’s positive. It’s a positive development because, had it been passed, it would have given Guam an edge, a greater advantage [over the CNMI] in terms of competition in the tourism market,” said House leadership spokesman Charles Reyes Jr.

He said, “we were worried because Guam would be more attractive to some tourists.”

Earlier, Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino general manager Tom Liu said that Saipan may be pressured to pass its own casino gaming law if voters approve the initiative to legalize controlled casino gambling on Guam.

Liu said, though, that a casino industry on Guam would not have a major impact on Tinian’s casino operations, noting that TDHC targets the Chinese tourists who could not visit and gamble on Guam without a U.S. visa.

Tinian’s advantage over Guam lies on the CNMI’s more relaxed immigration policy, as well as its direct charter flights from China, he said.

Meantime, Saipan casino proponent former Gov. Froilan Tenorio said yesterday the Guam initiative rejection would have “no impact or very little impact, if any, on the Northern Marianas.”

“I expected that the people of Guam would reject the casino initiative because there’s lot of opposition there, unlike here,” he said.

Tenorio said that what he is proposing on Saipan is an enactment of a casino law, not an initiative.

He said he has already given a draft law to the House speaker and every member of the House of Representatives. No lawmaker has introduced the proposal yet.

“I’m not saying that casino is the only way to generate revenues but if we see a need for it, why not do it here? We see that this administration can’t pay for utilities, is way behind the payment for Retirement Fund, behind in giving out rebate checks. There is no excuse to this. This government is bankrupt. We have to look at other revenues and casino is one,” he said.

Saipan Sen. Thomas P. Villagomez said a casino should not be legislated but decided by voters. “The people should decide. I don’t think that we should pass a bill for casino. I feel that even the investors would hesitate if it’s only through a public law, which can be changed after a year. The only people willing to agree to a public law are those fly-by-night casinos,” he said.

Saipan Sen. Luis Crisostimo said the casino initiative’s defeat on Guam “is good for Tinian.” “It would keep Tinian customers,” he said, adding that, like Guam, people on Saipan would also oppose a casino.

Proposition A, introduced by a group called Citizens for Economic Diversity, wanted to create a Guam Casino Gaming Control Commission, and limit casino operations to hotels with 100 or more rooms.