Tenorio, Covenant-Saipan, said a casino will be good for the CNMI’s tourism industry — the backbone of its economy.
“I know there are interested investors. I know that because I have heard from many potential investors. But I cannot guarantee that they will come. But how do we know unless we try. So, let’s introduce it and let’s see if the investors will come,” he told the Variety in an interview yesterday.
He said the industry will create more business opportunities and jobs.
“We have to create the demand. Casino attracts other investments. It will upgrade our restaurants and there will be more night clubs. There will be more jobs,” he said.
He said Rota and Tinian, where casinos are legal, have nothing to worry about.
“In my opinion — but lawmakers from Rota and Tinian might disagree with me on this — a casino on Saipan will help Tinian and Rota. If we have casino here, we will attract gamblers to come here, once they get here, they’ll go to Tinian and Rota,” Tenorio said.
After several failed attempts in the past, Rota finally legalized casino gaming in the 2007 elections.
Tinian, for its part, was the first CNMI island to legalize casinos — in 1989.
Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino opened in 1997, when Tenorio was still governor.
On Saipan, voters successfully repealed, through the initiative process, the casino legalization law passed by the Legislature in 1979.
In 2007, the island’s voters rejected the casino proposal that was placed on the ballot.
Tenorio said there are a lot of Saipan hotels struggling with low occupancy rates, and these can host a casino.
The speaker said the lawmakers’ biggest problem is how to help their constituents get jobs.
“The only thing that can revive our economy is the casino. Without the casino here on Saipan, our revenue will continue to decline which means we will downsize the government. Right now, for example, we’re already working on cutting the hours of government employees by 10 percent,” he added.
“Now, as legislator, I don’t want to continue that. Right now, we’re talking about 10 percent. Next fiscal year, we may be talking about another 10 percent,” he said.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to hold a session tomorrow.
