Saipan’s gaming and entertainment industry is becoming a go-to destination for Filipino high-stake rollers who want to take a break from gaming traditional destinations like Macau and Las Vegas.
Aviareps, a leading tourism, hospitality and aviation representation company with over 50 offices in 43 countries working with the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA), said they have seen a gradual increase in Filipinos traveling to Saipan and spend time at the Best Sunshine Live Casino.
“The island only has one casino, but it is strategically integrated to other places of activities within the island. It is increasingly becoming a buzzword for Filipino gaming aficionados,” Aviareps Philippines Office Director Jean Lugan said.
She added: “With direct flights from the Philippines courtesy of Philippine Airlines, Saipan is becoming a very attractive destination for Filipino high-stake rollers looking for alternative destinations.”
A main island of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is under US authority, Saipan quickly catapulted to the top in terms of its reputation in the gaming industry rivaling some of the world’s biggest gambling enterprises with its Best Sunshine Live Casino, which only opened in 2015.
Last year the casino reported revenues amounting to $32.40 billion from its VIP tables, higher than gaming giant the Venetian in Macau, which generated $28.90 billion. In the same year, Best Sunshine Live also collected more than 50 percent in income compared to Macau’s Wynn Resorts Ltd.
According to Lugan, with the Philippine gaming industry yet to be fully developed coupled with some of the recent developments, Filipinos, especially the high-rollers, will continuously look abroad.
“This is where Saipan has an advantage because of its proximity and the large Filipino community in the island. Filipinos will feel right at home there,” Lugan said.
Filipinos currently account for close to 40 percent of Saipan total population of 55,000.
Best Sunshine Live is a temporary casino run by Best Sunshine International, which is a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Imperial Pacific International. The temporary casino will be running until the five-phase construction of the permanent casino. The target for the integrated resort project is to have 4,252 rooms, 300 villas, 1,600 gaming tables and 3,500 slot machines.
Estimates of Imperial Pacific’s total investment for the resort is now at $7 billion. The first phase of the project started in January. The second phase will be acquiring the lease of the land now housing the Mariana Resort & Spa when it expires in 2018.
Aviareps is a leading tourism, hospitality and aviation representation company with over 50 offices in 43 countries.