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Casino regulator adopts junket regs; suspends licensing rules
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Posted on Sep 14 2015
Saipan casino regulators on Friday adopted emergency “junket” regulations and extended for about 45 days existing casino employee permits and licenses beyond Sept. 30, among other actions during a meeting Friday.
The “junket regulations” are part of the Commonwealth Casino Commission’s goal to regulate junket operators by requiring them to be licensed, pay a fee for those licenses, and allow them to vetted by the commission.
Junket operators bring in a group of players to casinos and provide these players—often “high rollers”—with perks such as free accommodations and others.
Right now, the commission imposes license fees for casino employees, gaming tables, vendors, and gaming machines being used by Best Sunshine International Ltd.
The regulations have been adopted under “emergency regulations” but will also be published in the Commonwealth Register for public comments.
On Friday, the commission also suspended several regulations to allow the commission to extend all valid and existing permits and license to go beyond Sept. 30 to the end of Oct. 30, 2015.
Noting Typhoon Soudelor’s recent devastation, commission executive director Edward C. Deleon Guerrero said they are “back to speed” but with their Sept. 30 deadline around the corner and 400 to 600 anticipated casino employees, they would not have enough time to reissue necessary work permits and other vendor licenses.
Deleon Guerrero also noted that they are waiting for a proposed amendment to Public Law 18-56—which established the Saipan casino—that is currently pending in the Legislature.
This amendment, according to Deleon Guerrero, would affect how license fees are assessed.
“If we proceed based on existing law, it would be per employee, per vendor…if that amendment is passed, it’s a blanket flat fee for all employees…and tables and so forth. We are preparing all forms and are preparing to move. [The suspension of regulations] gives us some breathing room so that come Oct. 1 those working at Best Sunshine will not be all illegal,” Deleon Guerrero told commissioners.
