Cohen: People should decide casino gaming on Saipan

Marianas Stars Entertainment consultant David B. Cohen said they don’t have a position on casino gaming on Saipan and that the company is leaving the decision on the people if they want to continue the process or not.

Speaking before Tuesday’s Rotary Club of Saipan meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan, the former deputy assistant secretary for Office of Insular Affairs said Marianas Stars is leaving the decision on the people.

“We defer to the prerogative of the people, either directly or through their elected representatives, to decide for themselves whether casino gaming should be allowed on Saipan.”

According to Cohen they take no position on the referenda to repeal the Saipan casino statute and are obstinately opposed to any effort to sabotage the campaign to put those referenda on the ballot.

“We’re not trying to scare the people of the CNMI into believing that they desperately need us. We’re the ones who trust the intelligence of the people of the CNMI to decide for themselves whether or not they want us,” he added. “The right of the people to decide their own future should not be defeated by technicalities.”

He also said that if there will be casino gaming on Saipan they want to compete for that share of that business.

Cohen also said that their sister company, Mega Stars Overseas Ltd., now owners of the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino had already invested over $40 million in a “white knight” rescue of the hotel in Tinian.

“They’ve paid back taxes, back wages, and back invoices to suppliers,” Cohen said.

Cohen said that Mega Stars worries that if a competitor were to have an exclusive license for a mega-casino on Saipan, it would jeopardize the jobs and revenues of the company that provides for Tinian.

“Tinian’s local government depends on Mega Stars, as do over 600 employees. If Marianas Stars had a casino license on Saipan, it would, because of it affiliation with Mega Stars, have every incentive to promote the prosperity of both islands,” Cohen said.

Cohen also said that there are plans underway to invest over $600 million on Tinian.

Park Strategies senior vice president and Marianas Star consultant Sean King confirmed that Tinian Dynasty is planning to invest up to $600 million for a water park and other resort facilities on the island.

According to King there are no exact dates yet but he does know that there are plans underway.

“The plans were underway before the Saipan casino law was passed so these plans were already in process,” King said.

Cohen also said that another plan is to improve transportation links between the islands, not only to transport guests back and forth between Saipan and Tinian but to also provide “improved connections” to Rota and Guam as well.

“We’re the only applicant that has a built-in incentive to promote prosperity on all of the islands, not just one,” Cohen said.

Best Sunshine International Ltd.’s chief operating officer Terence Tay said that Tinian Dynasty has been around for a long time. He said as far as their casino resort on Saipan is concerned what Best Sunshine plans to build will be for the CNMI people as a whole “so there will be a lot investments.”