Inside Asian Gaming

July 2014 inside asian gaming 9 comment on CNMI, saying any announcement would come from Imperial Pacific. Marianas Stars Entertainment, a partnership between Mega Stars and a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Chinese Strategic Holdings, says it has no other ties to gaming. However, Mega Stars Chief Financial Officer Henry Leung says the Saipan casino it wants to build, as well as its Tinian Dynasty renovation and expansion, will On more distant Rota, a consortium of investors from Japan, China, South Korea, the Philippines and Egypt say they are preparing to reopen the Treasure Island casino, closed since March 2011, and spend up to $500 million to build two five-star resorts there. The parent of Mega Stars’ Saipan partner, Hong Kong- listed Chinese Strategic Holdings, disclosed that it has leased a 578,000-square-foot plot on Tinian and may apply for a casino license. Separately, a joint venture including mainland China and Taiwan investors is negotiating to take over a 1.36 million-square-foot Tinian beachfront site where a previous lessee planned a 405-room casino resort and golf course. US-financed Bridge Investment Group holds a conditional gaming license and conditional lease on land to build what it calls Tinian Ocean View Resort. The $130million property will feature a replica of the Titanic with 300 hotel rooms and memorabilia, aiming to capitalize on Chinese interest in the ill-fated ocean liner spurred by the 1997 blockbuster film. As a condition of its lease, the project will also restore ferry service across the six-mile channel between Tinian and Saipan. On more distant Rota, a consortium of investors from Japan, China, South Korea, the Philippines and Egypt say they are preparing to reopen the Treasure Island casino, closed since March 2011, and spend up to $500 million to build two five-star resorts there. A company called Strategic Gaming Solutions opened a machine gaming venue in June at a luxury resort on Saipan. Late last year, before opting for casino development, the Saipan government, in a bid to bring in new revenue, legalized electronic gaming in hotels with more than 100 rooms or a golf course and airport departure areas. A formal opening of the $4 million Club K at Kanoa Resort is due this month, according to Strategic Gaming CEO Ben Lee, a consultant and former Macau casino executive. Another Saipan resort is reportedly awaiting licensing to open an e-gaming club. Spectrum Gaming Group’s Fred Gushin, who served as an advisor to the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission in the early ’90s, says US law enforcement suggested Tinian adopt New Jersey’s regulations as its model. “[We] all knew that it was a big mistake and tried to interpret Tinian law in a way that would not be so difficult,” he says. “The New Jersey gaming law was designed for an urban gaming environment and for a high-traffic casino. Tinian never was able to secure that kind of base.” Cover Story