American multimillionaire Larry Claunch also owns Nukudrau, a 19 hectare island in Savusavu Bay. Rumor has it the Denerau Hotel was already planned.
American wins right to open Fiji casinos
MICHAEL FIELD
The casino contract includes a US$290m five star resort on Denarau Island. An American multimillionaire has won the right to build a large casino on Fiji’s Denarau Island, one of the country’s main tourist destinations for New Zealanders.
Military ruler Voreqe Bainimarama has over-ruled long standing chiefly and church objections to announce that Larry Claunch, who describes himself as an investor, will get an exclusive license to build a 500-slot machine and 54-table casino on the island.
He will also be allowed to build a smaller one in Suva.
The regime advertised internationally for expressions of interest earlier this year. New Zealand’s SkyCity was among those interested.
The license will be held by Claunch’s One Hundred Sands Ltd, which will run the casino with the Snoqualmie Tribe from Washington state and Seventh Generation LLC, a Native American company.
The deal includes a US$290 million ($378 million) five star, 190-room resort on the manmade Denarau Island, which already has several hotels on it and timeshares.
Bainimarama said they would protect the rights and interests of Fijian people. A casino “provides a malleable fusion between the Western ideals of casino gaming with the strong cultural virtues of tribal and community life”, he said
He said the casino would provide 800 jobs.
“Fiji does not wish to imitate Las Vegas in the Pacific. Fiji already has a unique brand, one defined by its uniquely pristine environment, tranquillity and world class hospitality.”
Claunch said the casino was “a union of both economic and cultural endeavours”.
He also owns Nukudrau, a 19 hectare island in Savusavu Bay.
For how long does the dictator think he can prevent locals from engaging in the vice of gambling if there are casinos in Fiji? Fiji will not be under a dictator forever and eventually, courts will rule that it is unacceptable discrimination to permit foreigners to gamble but not locals. The locals will be paid from the earnings of those who engage in vice. From working in casinos, they will not acquire experience doing useful work. Instead, they will be dependent on vice to support themselves just as prostitutes are.
Also, let’s stop using the euphemism “gaming” and call it what it is, i.e., gambling.
can the land owner have a percentage of the profit from the casino
Before proceeding with anything Larry Craunch would be well advised to ask his legal council about the long term implications of signing a contact with a regime that has no standing in law? In other words don’t come crying for protection & compensation under law when this illegal regime is eventually replaced.
The casino is where the junta will clean its dirty corrupt bribes in millions from china/makaysia scams.
Money laundry.
@ FRE – To simply class ‘gambling/gaming’ as a vice and to then suggest those working in casinos are not doing useful work is a bit of a strange view.
Firstly, who is to say that gambling in casinos is a vice ? One of the many definitions of a vice is that it is an immoral or evil habit or practice but I fail to see how putting a $50 bet or whatever in a slot or on a table is imoral or evil. It only possibly becomes immoral or evil if the actions of that indavidual who has lost the $50 affects someone else such as their child who they can not now feed.
Secondly, who is to say that working in casinos is not doing useful work ? Casinos would employ not only croupiers but, bar staff, cleaners, security, IT, maintenance etc…..etc……
I’m not a gambler but I do see this as perhaps another avenue that can be taken to bring in more dollars and employment to Fiji. What we must not do is condemn it simply because it may be a bad temptation for a minority.
@ The Future
For many people, gambling is addictive. Not infrequently it results in depriving families of things they need to maximize their quality of life, such as adequate housing, adequate food, and a good education. Sometimes people even borrow money to support their gambling habits. Sometimes they steal, often from embezzling money from their employers, and end up in prison for it to the obvious detriment of their families. If there are any benefits to gambling, which is doubtful, the benefits are insufficient to justify the risks.
One might say that there are benefits because gambling does provide people with jobs. But, prostitution also provides people with jobs; would that justify a government’s sponsoring houses of prostitution? In any case, jobs which exist only because of the weaknesses of other people and which encourage other people to destroy themselves are not legitimate jobs.
It is not true that gambling MAY BE a bad temptation for a minority; it IS a temptation for a minority. If people want to gamble on their own, such as by playing poker for money in their own homes or in the homes of friends, at least their gambling is not being encouraged by governments or by businesses. Also, in such private gambling, people are less likely to be encouraged to spend more and more on gambling and, if they lose only a dollar to two occasionally, little or no harm is done. But when gambling is encouraged by businesses or governments, the individual losses tend to be much greater.
The dictatorship obviously understands the destructive nature of gambling, else it would not be attempting to limit it to non-citizens.
Claunch is a con man. This casino will never go ahead.
Information obtained so far confirms above – appears people (investors) most at risk right now are the US Snoquamie people (tribe).
This guy has past form in Viti via the Yaqara Studio City scam.
Just another junta jerk off. This dictatorship has attracted unemployables, carpet baggers and scumbags like flies to a turd. Look at the detritus supporting the illegal human rights abusing regime – says it all. The only good dictator is a dead one. And it has been a great year for dictators and their families to be given a ‘send off’!!!
another cassava alcohol venture ie will never get off ground
A casino? What’s next? Selling underage boys and girls? Well done junta groupies.
@FRE
Thank you for your comment on my earlier post and whilst I fully respect your view I just wonder how far society should go to protect those few indaviduals that do become addictated or misuse such facilities to the detriment of others.
On reading your reply the first thing that came to mind was that it would be so simple to replace every mention of ‘gambling’ within it to ‘drinking’ ! Identical scenario ……………
Never seen a concept developement plan move around so much?
Appears a lot a false information has clouded this issue – first the Chiness – then Nadi – but now it appears its always been about some little insignificant island in Natewa owned by a local Beachcomber with gambling & Native American connections.
Just stop the bullshit and build it in Naitisiri.
More regime bullshit.
This will never get off the ground
Traveler was crossing a desert in North Africa with his camel. When evening falls they decide to put up their tent. The tent was not enough for the traveler and his camel. Camel was very cold outside the tent. Camel ask his owner, please can I just put my head in to be warm! yes, sure you can. Later on, the camel said, can I put just one of my leg! yes, you can. Before the owner knows the whole camel was in the tent and it was not enough for both of them. So the camel push the owner out the tent and had a good night rest with his owner sleeping outside in the cold of the night. ….Casino in Fiji?
OMG the comments from you guys – do you live under a rock? I commend the efforts to try and get something off the ground – like what else can you do in a country with zero resources? tourism only gets you so far – your sugar is disgusting and that is why the EU dont want it anymore. You never know unless you have a GO.
Logged on to Larry Claunchs profile and it says he owns Bekana Is…click on Bekana Is. and it says he is stil building his resort.Looks like a shady character to me..of course you can be a multimillionaire when Banks extend your credit card limit..haahaa..and this casino he is building..is it another one of those big dreams..or is he still looking for fincances to build cause word is that he is using his connection with the illegal thugs to ask china for the money..that in itself is disgusting..and with the world reeling in a financial crisis..who would be so stupid to fly to a country that is run by a dictator to gamble..These illegal thugs took a gamble when they did the coup and now they are welcoming in gamblers..haahaa..what a laugh..
Only money launderers will cause they would pay the thugs to do favours for them..