Northern Mariana Islands: concerns over second casino licence

There’s been little news since senators introduced a bill to authorise a second casino licence if IPI’s exclusive licence is revoked.

Northern Mariana Islands.- In February, the Northern Mariana Islands legislature introduced a bill to authorise a second casino licence in the event that IPI’s licence is finally revoked. However, two senators have expressed concerns over the lack of action since.

The two minority bloc members, Edith Deleon Guerrero and Paul A. Manglon, have written a letter expressing their concern, highlighting the urgency of the bill due to the “detrimental financial crisis that IPI is facing now, with seemingly no end in sight.”

According to Mariana’s Variety, the new bill states: “If the exclusive casino license is revoked, the CNMI should take the opportunity to overhaul the casino industry by revisiting the casino statutory provisions and regulations to improve the industry.”

In June, Andrew Yeom, the CCC’s executive director, said: “It would be better for us [if there are other casinos], but we only have one exclusive licensee.”

He said money from the government “may be enough for personnel and operations costs for now, but it won’t last long.”

According to the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC), IPI violated five orders including a failure to pay its US$3.1m annual regulatory fee in 2020 and failure to comply with an order to settle debts with vendors.

Yesterday, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona announced IPI’s vehicles and casino gaming machines will be seized and sold to comply with a $2.1m judgement by USA Fanter Corp.

The US company sued IPI due to its failure to pay for work it completed at the operator’s Saipan resort.