More than three years after its opulent casino closed, Imperial Pacific International (IPI) still owes millions in past-due fees to the government of the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands (CNMI).
IPI developed the Imperial Pacific Palace resort complex on the island of Saipan. The troubled resort closed in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a month later, its license to operate was suspended. The resort remains shuttered.
According to the Saipan Tribune, the company owes $62 million in license fees for the years 2020 to 2023, plus $14.5 million in other charges. Despite the arrears, the company has expressed a desire to reopen if it can find an investor.
That hope seems misplaced, as receivers have auctioned off most of the casino’s gaming equipment to settle lawsuits by former contractors. In August, authorities ordered the seizure of other items from the Imperial Palace, including a pair of giant crystal dragons that once adorned the resort lobby.
Inside Asian Gaming cited comments by Commonwealth Casino Commission Chairman Edward C. DeLeon Guerrero, who said IPI must settle its outstanding balances before commissioners consider its future, though the body is willing to waive late fees due to Covid.
The CCC will now consider a “reasonable time” in which IPI can make those payments, he added.
Saipan is the largest island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, a U.S. protectorate in the western Pacific Ocean.
