He said he wants to see if they are really sincere in something that can benefit not only one island but the entire CNMI.
Conner said he understands that House Bill 17-130, the Saipan casino measure, requires an investment level of not less than $100 million.
The bill, he noted, will spread this amount of investment to Tinian and Rota. Both have casinos but are not doing well.
Asked if he will oppose the new casino bill, Conner said: “We are in dire straits right now and the people of CNMI are suffering so we have to do all we can to help them.”
He added, “Why are we going to oppose something if it’s going to help all of us and if it won’t kill the [gambling] industry on Tinian?”
Introduced by Rep. Stanley T. Torres, Ind.-Saipan, H.B. 17-130 or Commonwealth Casino Control Act requires the casino investor to allot half of the $100 million investment for mini-casino facilities on Tinian and Rota.
This should mean $25 million each for the casino operations on Tinian and Rota, Conner said.
“I’m tired of hearing Saipan, or Tinian or Rota. We are the CNMI,” he added.
Conner said gamblers usually hop from one casino to another.
“If they have bad luck here, they move somewhere else to find their good luck,” he added
For his part, Senate Vice President Jude U. Hofschneider, R-Tinian, said he has not yet seen the bill so it is difficult for him to comment on it.
He said he agrees with Conner that if there’s a new casino proposal it should be for the entire CNMI and not for Saipan only.
Last September, the Senate, which is dominated by Rota and Tinian, rejected the Saipan casino bill.
