A NEW policy that the Chinese government is imposing on overseas gambling operations effective Monday, March 1, may affect the operations of Imperial Pacific International.
Gross Gaming Revenue Asia, an online magazine, said under the new policy, “anyone who ‘organizes’ mainland Chinese for the purpose of overseas gambling will be deemed to have committed a criminal act.”
Xinhua News, for its part, reported that China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism will add more overseas destinations to its “blacklist system” for cross-border gambling tourist destinations.
In a statement to Variety, IPI said it “monitors the evolution of legal and regulatory requirements of its markets closely. IPI will build adjustments into its reopening plan to ensure compliance and business recovery.”
Financial suitability
Commonwealth Casino Commission Chairman Edward C. Deleon Guerrero during last week’s regular meeting told IPI officials he wanted to discuss at length IPI’s financial suitability to continue its casino operation on Saipan.
He said, “IPI is required by law to be financially suitable” in order to hold onto its exclusive casino license.
“What is more bothersome to me, is that the current IPI personnel who are still behind seem to be rewriting history. IPI cannot rewrite history. The problems with its finances predate the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
Deleon Guerrero has suggested in previous meetings that a hearing should be conducted to determine IPI’s financial suitability.
IPI is facing several lawsuits over nonpayment of services, among other allegations, as well as complaints filed by the casino commission itself.
