THE Commonwealth Casino Commission was in favor of the CNMI lawmakers’ recent trip to the Philippines to attend the ASEAN Gaming Summit, CCC Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero said.
The commission held its monthly meeting on Thursday to discuss the arbitration hearing set for May 23 to 25, 2023 in Hawaii.
Asked why they did not attend the three-day summit in Manila, Deleon Guerrero said they had no money. But he said the commission is in favor of educating government officials and members of the public on the gaming industry. He said he and the other commissioners will “assist” whoever wants to learn about the casino industry.
“We support any opportunity for the lawmakers to expand their knowledge about the gaming industry,” Deleon Guerrero added.
He noted that the commission is on the same page with lawmakers regarding the revocation of Imperial Pacific International’s exclusive casino license.
It was the commission’s executive director, Andrew Yeom, who filed enforcement actions to revoke IPI’s exclusive license.
Deleon Guerrero said the commission was ready to act as a tribunal on the enforcement actions when IPI’s request for an injunction was granted by the District Court for the NMI which ordered that the commission and IPI go through arbitration first.
New investors
On Tuesday, House Gaming Committee Chairman Ralph N. Yumul said they learned from some of the gaming experts who also attended the Manila summit that once IPI’s license is revoked, new casino investors will come in.
“Now, is the CNMI ready for it? Maybe not. We have to be a lot more careful this time in deciding whether to allow gaming to continue in the CNMI. That is something the people will have to decide. I am sure they will be actively involved in [making a decision],” Yumul said.
Rep. Joel Camacho, the committee vice chairman, said based on their discussions with gaming experts at the summit, smaller, locally regulated casino operations could be the most feasible option for the CNMI right now.
Commonwealth Casino Commission Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero, center, speaks during a meeting on Thursday. Also in photo are Commissioners Martin Mendiola, Mario Taitano, Ralph Demapan and Ramon Dela Cruz.
