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Rota Resort granted conditional casino license
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Posted on Jul 25 2011
The Rota Gaming Commission granted a conditional license to Rota Resort & Country Club on July 15, allowing the company to operate a casino in its premises.
Rota Gaming Commission chair Laura Maria I. Manglona informed Sen. Juan M. Ayuyu (Ind-Rota) in a letter of the commission’s decision to grant a conditional license to SNM Corp. (Rota Resort).
SNM Corp. earlier paid a $150,000 investigation fee to the Rota Casino Gaming Commission as part of their application for a license to operate a casino in the first senatorial district.
Manglona also updated Ayuyu on the operations of Rota Treasure Island Corp. and said the company’s operations is “temporarily on hold and is in the process of procuring more funding as they have operated the casino in deficit and has financial obligations before they can continue their operation.”
She said it is the Rota Gaming Commission’s hope that Rota Treasure Island can secure the necessary funding and resolve its obligations.
Rota Treasure Island has been temporarily closed since March 25. The company earlier said it hoped to reopen if and when it successfully gets clients from Japan, Guam, and Saipan, among other things.
The casino operation, which is at the Rota Hotel, is the only holder of a license to operate a casino on Rota, albeit a temporary one at this time.
Rota Treasure Island Corp. had expected a surge of players in March and April but because of the March 11 Japan quake and tsunami, their expected casino players from Japan either postponed or cancelled their trip to Rota. A charter flight from Japan to Rota was also cancelled after the Japan disasters.
Unlike Saipan voters, Rota and Tinian voters approved casino gambling on their islands.
