The possibility of a casino in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands moved a step closer with the passing of a new bill.
The Senate of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands passed a bill to repeal and re-enact a casino law for Saipan, to “clarify ambiguities” in the original statute and fully empower the local Lottery Commission to award an exclusive Saipan casino licence.
The last step now is for the US Pacific Territory’s Governor Eloy S Inos to sign the corrective bill. He has already said he would do it “promptly.”
Last month Superior Court Associate Judge David A Wiseman, sitting in Saipan, criticised the original law, describing it as “haphazard and poorly drafted”.
Imperial Pacific International Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed investor in the profit stream of Macau VIP operator Hengsheng Group, is seeking via a wholly-owned subsidiary to secure the licence for a resort requiring a “minimum US$2bn” investment, according to the Saipan authorities. The subsidiary, Best Sunshine, is one of two applicants currently involved in the process.
