Report: $27.85M in BGRT paid out by Saipan casino

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC has paid out $27.853 million in total business gross revenue taxes to the CNMI government since it opened its casino in the T-Galleria mall last July, according to the Commonwealth Casino Commission in a July 6 report to the House of Representatives committee on commerce and tourism.

Non-gaming gross revenue from the casino’s bar and revenue amount to $15,097 from July to May.

Most of the taxes came from table games, at $27.56 million.

Taxes from e-table games were listed at $14,899 and taxes on slot machine revenues amounted to $254,284.

According to the commission’s report, as of May 31, there are 141 electronic gaming tables, or slot machines, at the casino and 46 gaming tables, with 16 of these under VIP.

The commission also, as of the end of May, has licensed 906 regular employees for IPI, with 10 pending.

The commission has licensed 29 key employees under IPI, with nine pending.

They’ve licensed 18 casino service providers and have pending applications for three casino vendors.

The commission has licensed no junket operators—seen as the middlemen between high rollers and the casino—so far but has received 17 applications.

New casino date pushed to Chinese New Year
The commission also reveals that Imperial Pacific has changed the targeted completion date of its towering casino resort currently under construction in Garapan.

The original completion date was set for Dec. 31 2016.

“IPI reported during the commission’s June 13, 2016 meeting that the amended target completion date for the opening of the gaming portions of the Grand Mariana Hotel and Resort will be a few days prior to the Chinese New Year, most probably around Jan. 25, 2017.”

“Lease expiration date for the current location at the T-Galleria facility for the Best Sunshine Live operations is April 2017. Final completion date for the Grand Mariana hotel and resort operations, per the License Agreement, is August 2017. The commission has received no official request for extension.”

Property acquired
The casino commission also lists three properties acquired from the CNMI government and private owners for the Grand Mariana project but note that they are also tracking two-dozen land acquisitions that may be tied with the casino company.

“The commission…has been monitoring the establishments of about 24 new business entities that may involve land transaction where” the casino company “may have some direct or/or indirect involvements.

“The commission is continuing its review and other due diligence on these entities to ascertain their connection or involvement with the exclusive casino licensee.”