There will be an “influx” of gamblers from Japan, said Watanabe, who is also one of the executives of Line Map Hotel and Nature Resort, the company that runs the Rota hotel and the casino.
In a separate interview, hotel general manager Yoshiro Kishimoto said the visitors they are expecting to arrive in March are “big time gamblers” from Japan who frequently travel to Las Vegas, the Philippines and Macau to patronize casinos.
Kishimoto said the arrivals in March will mark the beginning of the casino’s recovery. “Sometimes they come in tandem, sometimes in a group of four,” he said, referring to the gamblers from Japan.
He expects them to stay at the Rota Hotel for at least a couple of days.
Earlier this week, employees the casino and hotel complained about their delayed salaries.
Watanabe admitted there was a delay in payroll but only recently and not way back in September as earlier reported.
Each of the hotel employees, he added, received their partial salaries of $800 last month and not just $50.
He said he is very confident that their marketing scheme will draw gamblers from Japan.
Watanabe said he feels sorry for the delay in payroll but just like other tourist-oriented businesses in the CNMI, he added, his company has been affected by the drop in tourist arrivals.
But next month and for the rest of this year, he said, things are going to get better not only for the company but for its employees as well.
Promoting casinos in Japan is not an easy task because it is illegal to advertise gambling there, Watanabe said.
What his company actually promotes in Japan is Rota itself, as “one of the best tourist destinations in the Pacific,” he added.
It is only when the Japanese tourists reach the island that they get to know about the casino, he said.
Gamblers in Japan who come to Rota for the first time usually learn about the casino by word of mouth, he added. These come to Rota either via Guam or Saipan.
He said they are now intensifying their marketing efforts on Guam.
Over the last few months, Watanabe said business “was low” but he knows it will bounce back soon.
He said their Rota casino is just a year old and what they have is a “long-term” plan.
