SENATE President Jude U. Hofschneider on Wednesday prefiled Senate Bill 22-42, which would authorize the casino commission of each senatorial district to regulate the maintenance of poker and pachinko machines.
Right now, the Department of Finance regulates poker arcades located outside casinos.
On Saipan, for example, the Commonwealth Casino Commission regulates only the poker machines that are in the casino of Imperial Pacific International.
There are no casinos currently operating on Rota and Tinian, but the two islands’ poker and pachinko machines are regulated by Finance.
According to S.B. 22-42, Finance “is not equipped with the manpower and expertise necessary to regulate the maintenance and repairs of poker machines to ensure that they are working properly.”
The casino commissions on Saipan, Tinian and Rota, in contrast, “have the staff and expertise necessary to regulate the maintenance and repairs of licensed non-casino poker and pachinko machines located outside the casino facilities,” the bill stated.
If enacted into law, S.B. 22-42 will give the Commonwealth Casino Commission, the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission and the Rota Casino Gaming Commission the authority to regulate the maintenance and repairs of poker and pachinko machines in their respective senatorial districts; but the licenses and collection of the license fees will continue to be regulated by the Finance secretary for all municipalities.
The bill states that the Finance secretary “shall be responsible for the enforcement of this section: provided that for the poker and pachinko machines located in each senatorial district, the secretary of Finance shall collect the license fees; however, the respective casino commission of each senatorial district shall regulate the maintenance and repairs of the poker and pachinko machines.”
