In an interview, former Rep. Antonio Sablan, who is now the Legislative Bureau director, said Public Law 18-30, which he authored, was already enacted when IPI and the CNMI government signed the casino license agreement that gave the casino investor exclusive rights to casino operation on Saipan.
P.L. 18-30 was signed by then-Gov. Eloy S. Inos on Dec. 13, 2013 while Public Law 18-56, which was authored by then-Rep. Ralph S. Demapan to legalize casino gaming on Saipan and created the casino license agreement, was signed on July 11, 2014.
Sablan said the CNMI government could not breach IPI’s exclusivity rights because the electronic gaming law was already in place, and poker arcades had been in existence for a long time.
He said he has no recollection of IPI demanding the repeal of P.L. 18-30 before or when IPI signed the casino license agreement.
Sablan also explained that P.L. 18-30 specifically made a distinction between casino and electronic gaming.
He said casino gaming was not allowed yet on Saipan when he drafted and introduced the e-gaming law in 2013.
P.L. 18-30 or the Tourism Entertainment and Destination Enhancement Act of 2013 states: “Electronic gaming machines or any electronic table game devices used for the purpose of playing a game traditionally played at tables, and includes any electronic device through which bets may be placed on a game played at a table are not gambling devices; provided they are licensed as required by 4 CMC Section 1503(a)(6) or the amusement machine licensing provisions.”
The e-gaming law defines electronic games to include “computer or server and any related hardware, software or other devices that are used to conduct gaming, either as a fully automated version or as semi-automated version where the collection of bets and payout of winnings are automated.”
Electronic table games include “poker, roulette, baccarat, black jack, craps, big wheel, slot machines, pai gow and sic bo, and any variations or composites of such.”
In a separate interview, House Gaming Committee Chairman Ralph Yumul, who was a member of the 18th Legislature, said he also does not remember IPI, which was known as Best Sunshine at the time, coming forward to ask for the repeal of P.L. 18-30.
Yumul said he knew at that time that Best Sunshine was targeting “high rollers” so the casino investor did not mind electronic gaming on island.
Yumul said his committee invited IPI chief executive officer Donald Browne to a meeting at 1 p.m. today, Tuesday, to clarify the issue.
In his letter to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres and other government officials last week, Browne said IPI was never provided with an exclusive license. He accused the CNMI government of breaching IPI’s exclusive rights to gaming by allowing e-gaming and poker arcade operations on island.
Browne wrote the letter in response to the governor’s notice of intent to suspend or revoke the exclusive casino license following IPI’s failure to pay the $15.5 million annual license fee on Aug. 12.
