DeLeon Guerrero: Never heard of anyone calling CCC regulations substandard

Commonwealth Casino Commission board chair Edward C. DeLeon Guerrero said yesterday that he welcomes lawmakers sharing with them which part of the gaming/casino regulations are “substandard.”

“I have never heard anyone call the CCC casino regulations substandard. Perhaps the policymaker who made that reference has not seen our regulations,” said DeLeon Guerrero during the CCC board’s regular monthly meeting at the Springs Plaza Building in Gualo Rai.

In a news briefing Wednesday to report on the ASEAN Gaming Summit in Manila, Rep. Marissa Renee Flores (Ind-Saipan) stated that the leadership of the CCC did not regulate well or adequately understand the consequences of implementing “substandard” regulations.

Flores, who was among the seven lawmakers who attended the three-day summit last week, said she believes that Saipan casino licensee, Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC, is a terrible company and that CCC has horrible leadership.

DeLeon Guerrero responded by saying that calling their regulations “substandard” just hurts the efforts of current and previous commissioners over the years to make sure that they regulate this casino industry properly.

DeLeon Guerrero said they do not desire to be adversarial with policymakers as the CCC was created by the Legislature through Public Law 18-56, to assist in enforcing the mandate of that law.

“We are the [casino] regulators,” said the chairman.

However, there seems to be some misunderstanding over what the CCC’s duties, responsibilities, and roles are, he added.

DeLeon Guerrero said he completely disagrees with the statement that they are enforcing “substandard” casino regulations and that he welcomes that policymaker to visit the CCC so he can share the regulations.

He said it took them many months of working with the Office of the Attorney General to look at quite a lot of gaming regulations such for the Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, and Michigan.

He said they decided to use the Nevada model as a platform and that since then they made some modifications.

DeLeon Guerrero said he does not want to perpetuate the mistaken idea that the CCC’s regulations are similar to that of poker regulations.

“Poker is a completely different animal and so is e-gaming,” he pointed out.

The chairman said when he read the lawmaker’s statement in the news yesterday morning that they are enforcing “substandard” regulations, he was tempted to invite the lawmakers to show the CCC which part of the regulations they consider substandard.

DeLeon Guerrero said that what most people don’t understand is that, in addition to the regulations, the CCC also has to implement what is called minimum internal control standard—over 800 pages of standard operating procedures. In this case, he said, they use the Missouri model and that was also was approved by the CCC in an effort to regulate the casino industry.

The chairman said they are here to help and if the Legislature has any proposal, they also have their own proposal.

“I still believe in my heart that there is a room for this industry to assist the Commonwealth in not operating a separate industry but in complementing our tourism industry,” he said.

As to the Manila Gaming summit attended by seven lawmakers, DeLeon Guerrero said he favors education and any time policymakers have the opportunity to be trained, he believes it’s positive. He declined to comment, however, on the trip’s timing with the government’s lack of funds.

DeLeon Guerrero said he supports training, so that people can be aware of what is going on in the casino industry.

“We have no intention to be adversarial with our policymakers. That’s the decision they chose to take,” said the chairman, adding that they are standing by to assist in how they can further that education and knowledge.

DeLeon Guerrero said CCC was very much aware of the Manila summit, but they did not go because they don’t have funds and all of their employees have been terminated.

“But any time policymakers have an opportunity to expand their understanding of the industry I think it is a positive thing for the Commonwealth. I would leave to them to justify the lack of funds,” he said.