The Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission and Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino are offering two contrasting explanations why the latter\u2019s casino operations didn\u2019t reopen last Tuesday as planned.<\/p>\n
Responding to Saipan Tribune queries yesterday, Tinian Dynasty general manager Christopher Bishop simply said the \u201cgaming commission has not given permission to reopen\u201d as the reason for the aborted reopening.<\/p>\n
When pressed for details, Bishop said the future reopening of Tinian Dynasty\u2019s casino is now on the TCGCC\u2019s court as they\u2019ve already met all the conditions set by the casino regulator.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have completed all their conditions, so the timetable is up to them,\u201d he said in a Facebook message to Saipan Tribune.<\/p>\n
TCGCC executive director Lucy Blanco-Maratita denied Bishop\u2019s assertion that Tinian Dynasty has already met all the conditions the commission set in order for the casino to be allowed to reopen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree hours before the start of the program [reopening on Tuesday, Dec. 15] we told him that he [Bishop] couldn\u2019t reopen. I called him on Friday [Dec. 11] and then I called him on Monday [Dec. 14] because they were planning to reopen on Tuesday. I asked about updates, specifically if the gaming tables and the slot machines fees will be paid and he said he doesn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018Today is Monday and tomorrow you\u2019re opening so you need more time if you intend to reopen. Let us know if you\u2019re going to meet the conditions,\u2019\u201d Blanco-Maratita recalled her conversation with the Tinian Dynasty general manager.<\/p>\n
She told Bishop that one of the easiest items to cross off from the list of conditions is the fees for the gaming tables and slot machines, yet even that, Blanco-Maratita said, Tinian Dynasty failed to meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe easiest one to meet is pay the fees because it would be worthless to open the casino and you cannot use the gaming tables and the slot machines,\u201d she told Saipan Tribune in a telephone interview yesterday.<\/p>\n
Blanco-Maratita said the fees for slot machines is $175 apiece and for gaming tables it is $250 apiece. In all, Tinian Dynasty only had to come up with between $50,000 and $60,000 to fulfill one of the regulators\u2019 requirements.<\/p>\n
On their end, Blanco-Maratita said that acting governor Ralph DLG Torres\u2019 signing of the Tinian municipal budget on Tuesday finally allowed them to again staff the gaming commission office, which is one of the requirements for the reopening of the casino.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other condition is we need to have a fully functioning gaming commission office. We need the auditors in place and the gaming commissioners to be back. When there was no budget, they were furloughed and they did not come in and work. None of the administrative staff came in and worked,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It will be recalled that the shuttering of the casino in August resulted in not only TCGCC to furlough personnel but also Tinian Mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas to let go off some of his staff as well.<\/p>\n
Other requirements for the casino\u2019s reopening include the rehiring of Spectrum Gaming and the settling of Tinian Dynasty\u2019s financial obligations to its former employees who haven\u2019t been paid their salaries.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey need to have the Spectrum Gaming consultants in place and they have to be involved and assist them in order to be in compliance,\u201d Blanco-Maratita said, adding that the condition was in place even before the casino closed in the summer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey [Spectrum Gaming] are no longer here. They [Tinian Dynasty] have to make sure the contract is updated. They have also not submitted a payment plan. We don\u2019t know if they have paid their employees but I guess that\u2019s now in the bankruptcy court. They have to make sure they meet their financial obligations including for their employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blanco-Maratita said even though Tinian Dynasty\u2019s casino is not operational, TCGCC staff are back at work because there are other casino licenses that need to be taken cared of.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are other casino license applicants\u2014Alter City Group, Bridge Investment Group. There are other things the commission has to address, including the bankruptcy filing of Tinian Dynasty.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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