Rota casino officials deny conflict of interest
Thursday, 24 December 2009 00:00 By Junhan B. Todeno - Reporter
MEMBERS of the Rota Casino Gaming Commission are not offering their properties to a prospective investor, its Secretary Justin S. Manglona said.
He said none of them have personal interests in the casino business.
A Rota resident told the Variety that the casino commissioners were “racing against each other” to get the prospective investor’s approval regarding the site for a new hotel.
One investor, according to the resident, who refused to be identified, chose the prime lots between Songsong and Sinapalo.
But the commission, he said, offered another site located on one of the commissioners’ properties.
“There’s no such thing like that. We are professionals in the commission,” Manglona said.
He said the commission hasn’t heard any complaint from residents.
The commission, he added, will not be influenced by its members in choosing the lot for the site of a casino hotel.
This month, three prospective casino investors picked up application forms, one of which has already been submitted to the commission, Manglona said.
It will take at least a month for the commission to evaluate the application to determine whether it is in compliance with regulations, he added.
Showing posts with label Casino. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Casino. Show all posts
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Palau’s Toribiong vetoes casino bill
Palau’s Toribiong vetoes casino bill
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:00 By Bernadette H. Carreon - Palau Reporter
KOROR (Palau Horizon) — President Johnson Toribiong has vetoed the casino bill, describing it as a get-rich-quick scheme that will not benefit Palau.
In his transmittal letter to the Olbiil Era Kelulau, the national legislature, the president said the controversial bill was a rushed, confusing and not well-thought piece of legislation.
The measure stated that controlled gaming in Palau will diversify its tourism base and attract new investments.
Toribiong disagreed.
“It is my belief that gambling will not augment our tourist industry, but rather will detract from the very reason that people choose to vacation here,” he said.
Its proponents said the bill contains provisions to protect the people of Palau from the dangers of compulsive and addictive gambling, but Toribiong noted that it does not prohibit Palauans from gambling.
He said the bill does not even require a state to consult the people through a referendum if they are in favor of a casino.
“A state government could permit a casino to be located in its state simply by passing a law. In any event, given the size of our country, the negative effects of gambling in one state cannot be limited solely to the state,” Toribiong said.
The bill, he added, appears to favor casino operators rather than the people of Palau.
He said it does not permit sufficient time to do a background check on casino license applicants and will pay members of the gaming commission “exorbitant money.”
The president said Palau should look into the experiences of Tinian’s struggling casino which opened in 1998.
He said the casino proponents’ expectations are not realistic as Palau cannot compete with the established casino industries in Macau, Malaysia or the Philippines.
According to Toribiong, the people of Palau should decide whether they want to legalize casino gaming in their country.
Thursday, 03 December 2009 00:00 By Bernadette H. Carreon - Palau Reporter
KOROR (Palau Horizon) — President Johnson Toribiong has vetoed the casino bill, describing it as a get-rich-quick scheme that will not benefit Palau.
In his transmittal letter to the Olbiil Era Kelulau, the national legislature, the president said the controversial bill was a rushed, confusing and not well-thought piece of legislation.
The measure stated that controlled gaming in Palau will diversify its tourism base and attract new investments.
Toribiong disagreed.
“It is my belief that gambling will not augment our tourist industry, but rather will detract from the very reason that people choose to vacation here,” he said.
Its proponents said the bill contains provisions to protect the people of Palau from the dangers of compulsive and addictive gambling, but Toribiong noted that it does not prohibit Palauans from gambling.
He said the bill does not even require a state to consult the people through a referendum if they are in favor of a casino.
“A state government could permit a casino to be located in its state simply by passing a law. In any event, given the size of our country, the negative effects of gambling in one state cannot be limited solely to the state,” Toribiong said.
The bill, he added, appears to favor casino operators rather than the people of Palau.
He said it does not permit sufficient time to do a background check on casino license applicants and will pay members of the gaming commission “exorbitant money.”
The president said Palau should look into the experiences of Tinian’s struggling casino which opened in 1998.
He said the casino proponents’ expectations are not realistic as Palau cannot compete with the established casino industries in Macau, Malaysia or the Philippines.
According to Toribiong, the people of Palau should decide whether they want to legalize casino gaming in their country.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Casino buildup planned for Pacific
Casino buildup planned for Pacific
(AP) – 11 hours ago
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Casino investors are buying up hotel properties on Rota, the second-largest island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in hopes of attracting military gamblers once the U.S. increases its presence in nearby Guam.
Japanese and Korean investors separately bought two Rota hotels this month in anticipation of turning them into the island's first casinos.
Many of their customers would be 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents who will be moved from Okinawa, Japan to Guam, located just 35 miles to the south of Rota.
The new casinos could take business from the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, located on the island of Tinian to the north of Rota.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
(AP) – 11 hours ago
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — Casino investors are buying up hotel properties on Rota, the second-largest island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, in hopes of attracting military gamblers once the U.S. increases its presence in nearby Guam.
Japanese and Korean investors separately bought two Rota hotels this month in anticipation of turning them into the island's first casinos.
Many of their customers would be 8,000 Marines and their 9,000 dependents who will be moved from Okinawa, Japan to Guam, located just 35 miles to the south of Rota.
The new casinos could take business from the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino, located on the island of Tinian to the north of Rota.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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