In a recent move, Saipan gaming regulators have approved their first junket operator license thus opening a way for the first junket deal with the island’s only casino. This Monday the Marianas Variety reported that the Commonwealth Casino Commission had issued a provisional license to Du Young Jang, the owner of the South Korean junket operator Big Bang Entertainment.
As per the local media reports, this approved regulations and guidelines by The Commonwealth Casino Commission would allow junket operators to bring high rollers to the Saipan Casino.
Commission Director Edward C Deleon Guerrero, and owner of the Saipan Casino, Best Sunshine International Ltd, said they will be anticipating applications soon.
“The success of Best Sunshine, or the [Tinian] Dynasty, or Alter City [Group] or any other” casino in this part of the world is “through this program, the junket,” Guerrero told the Saipan Tribune. “Basically, they are the travel agency going around the world to get VIPs to come to Saipan.”
Guerrero further shared in an interview noted one of the differences between the Macau junket operations and that for Best Sunshine.
“In some places in Macau, the junket operator takes over the VIP room,” said Guerrero. “Here, we do not allow that. The junket operator cannot take over a VIP room—it would have to be Best Sunshine and Best Sunshine’s approved and licensed dealers and pit boss that are operating the casino.”
There are currently 18 other junket license applications awaiting the Commission’s stamp of approval. The Commission serves all of the Commonwealth of Northern Marlana Islands, including Tinian and Rota. With this approval now Big Bang’s next job is to secure a junket deal with Best Sunshine International which is the local subsidiary of Imperial Pacific International Holdings. Best Sunshine operates Best Sunshine Live, the temporary casino that is serving a stopgap until the company’s permanent gaming venue, Grand Marlana Casino, and Hotel Resort gets ready to welcome guests.
Best Sunshine has always worked on their strategy and initiative to identify VIP gamblers to its casino. With this initiative the company keeps a larger share of gambler’s losses but at the same time also exposes the company to greater losses should the VIP’s run lucky.
With Best Sunshine’s reporting monthly VIP turnover of nearly $3.2b in April, which then touched to a record low of $1.55b in August thus the VIP fortunes going down the company needs to gear up for a big change.
