During a recent meeting with the House Fundraising Committee, Edward C. Deleon Guerrero, the chairman of the Federal Casino Commission (CCC), suggested that the local legislature consider abolishing the exclusivity of gambling licenses.
Guerrero believes that although the sole gambling license holder, Imperial Pacific International Group (IPI), is currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, the casino industry could help revitalize the local economy.
According to local media, Guerrero pointed out that Public Law 18-56, which legalized the casino on Saipan, stipulates that the government will obtain an exclusive casino license to fund the government's retirement plan. He stated that times have changed, and it is now time for the legislature to consider abolishing this exclusive right.
He mentioned that once the government of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) allows multiple casino licenses, CCC proposes a different approach.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, CCC has been unable to collect the annual regulatory fee of $3.15 million from IPI. Meanwhile, IPI is currently embroiled in multiple legal disputes with the government of the Northern Mariana Islands and several officials.
