The Commonwealth Casino Commission, which regulates gaming operations in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), was considering last week the approval of applications for four casino junket operators. To date, the only casino in the CNMI—a U.S. jurisdiction—is Imperial Pacific International’s Imperial Pacific Resort on the island of Saipan.
The junket firms in question are: American Bopan (CNMI) LLC, with Huang Mingyu named as manager; P’Art Corp, with Park Jun Ho as president; Palm Tree Ventures (CNMI) LLC, with Jiang Jian Hui as manager; and Tropical Sands (CNMI) LLC, with Cui Zhan Hui as manager, reported GGRAsia.
In August, Marianas Variety quoted Edward Guerrero, CCC executive director, as saying only one of the five licensed junkets in Saipan was bringing gamblers to the island. Big Bang Entertainment LLC was the only one “delivering” on its commitment to IPI, he said.
IPI, which has targeted Asian high rollers, has so far failed to attract the region’s major junket operators to its property, reported Asia Gaming Brief. The unfinished resort lacks the hotel rooms and facilities to cater to VIPs, with visitors placed in neighboring hotels and high-end yachts. “In the absence of meaningful junket play,” AGB reported, “IPI has extended direct credit to its clients, resulting in a spike in impairments.”
Commissioners were also considering the renewal of a two-year “casino key employee” license for Mark Brown, chairman of IPI. His current permit was due to expire on September 30.
In related news, Variety reported on Monday that two senior officials of the CCC had recommended Saipan’s gaming regulator be turned into a law enforcement agency in order to be able to address gaming-related crime.
In a joint letter to the House Committee on Judiciary & Governmental Operations, CCC Chairman Juan M. Sablan and Deleon Guerrero told lawmakers the commission “needs to be granted authority to be a law enforcement agency” with “autonomy from potential political interference.”
Meanwhile, IPI is facing a federal court complaint over alleged sexual harassment and unfair employment practices against a former casino VIP hostess and “other similarly aggrieved female employees.”
Variety and the Saipan Tribune both reported that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the complaint alleging IPI engaged in unlawful discrimination by subjecting the women to unwelcome physical and verbal sexual harassment by male patrons “which was sufficiently severe or pervasive to adversely affect the terms and conditions of their employment.”
According to the Associated Press, Imperial Pacific allegedly “shrugged off employee complaints and that those who complained were fired or faced other retaliation.”
