‘No scheduled hearing due to IPI’s pending issues’

The CNMI Lottery Commission has yet to meet to talk about the casino operator’s bid to have the casino license agreement amended again because they want Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC to resolve its issues with the Commonwealth Casino Commission first.

Lottery Commission chair Mark O. Rabauliman, who is also the Commerce secretary, said yesterday that he and rest of the Lottery commissioners haven’t officially met yet on IPI’s ninth bid to have the CLA amended. Right now, Rabauliman said, he is in communication with the Office of the Attorney General about IPI’s request. “So in a nutshell, right now, we’re still looking over the proposed amendments that they’ve put forth,” he said.

Rabauliman said there are still many questions that he would like answered before they’re able to actually meet.

The other members of the Lottery Commission are Department of Public Safety Commissioner Robert Guerrero and Finance Secretary David Atalig.

Rabauliman said they are just letting the process take care of itself between IPI and the Commonwealth Casino Commission with regard to a lot of issues that IPI is dealing with CCC.

He pointed out that he has not set a schedule yet to hold a public hearing about IPI’s request.

Rabauliman said he informed IPI chief executive officer Donald R. Browne last July 23 that, after his review of the proposed amendments, he was advised by the OAG that there is no legal obligation to hold a hearing for the purpose of considering any amendments to the casino license agreement and to defer any action until the issue cited by CCC is dealt with.

“There are still some issues that need to be worked out…[and]…are pending with CCC,” Rabauliman said.

IPI filed its proposed amendment No. 9 before the CNMI Lottery Commission in early July. Among the changes IPI wants this time is to cut the annual casino license fee in half, extend the deadlines for IPI to complete the construction of the Imperial Pacific Resort in Garapan and its other projects, and to change the community benefit fund into a percentage of its net profit instead of a flat amount.

In its request for amendments, IPI cited many unexpected global and local events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, for their significant impact on the company, plus many changes in laws and regulations that cannot be predicted and that are beyond IPI’s control.