SAVE Garapan member John Gonzales believes that a gambling measure pending in the House of Representatives could make Garapan an “unattractive” tourist destination.
Introduced by Rep. Ralph N. Yumul, House Bill 23-85 would allow businesses in western Garapan that cumulatively own more than 100 hotel rooms to engage in electronic gambling.
The bill “is going to open a Pandora’s Box of irresponsible, unfamily-friendly, unattractive tourism,” Gonzales said.
“Go around the corridors of the Garapan tourist district,” he added. “Many buildings are vacant now. When this proposed bill is enacted into law then many of these vacant buildings will become poker or casino parlors.”
He reiterated that most of the CNMI’s tourists are Koreans, some with families, and that most people on Saipan who use gambling machines are locals.
“We need to ask ourselves if there’s a demographic to justify that kind of tourism services,” Gonzales said, referring to gambling. “If we are to follow [tourist data] there really won’t be customers because the [Korean] demographic is a couple with children. Are they going to leave their children to go play poker?” he asked.
Gonzales also believes that an increase in gambling facilities in Garapan will lead to more alcoholism, burglary, drugs, and other “unfriendly” activities in the district.
He is urging community members to sign the Save Garapan online petition, which can be found on the group’s Facebook page.
