‘Remote gaming’ bill fails to get House panel nod

The seven-member House Committee on Commerce and Tourism is not recommending passage of a bill proposing to establish remote gaming industry in the CNMI, citing possible unconstitutionality and the U.S. government’s crackdown on remote gaming enterprises.

The committee, chaired by Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Cov-Saipan), recommends the “filing” of Rep. Froilan Tenorio’s (Cov-Saipan) House Bill 17-186.

“Your committee finds it inappropriate to take action on a legislation that presents more questions than answers in this time of economic hardship,” the panel said, after getting comments from affected entities.

Tenorio introduced the bill in March 2011, a few months after the Senate killed his bill to legalize casino gaming on Saipan.

Rep. Ray Tebuteb (R-Saipan) said yesterday this gaming bill is “good as dead” unless the author is able to muster enough supporters to still pass the measure despite the committee’s recommendation.

In a three-page report, Villagomez’s committee said that while HB 17-186 is aligned with the leadership’s mission to produce legislation that will generate fresh money into the CNMI, the bill “may be in violation of the Constitution.”

The panel also said that, based on the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission’s comments, the federal government opposes Internet gaming, which the committee said appears to include the “remote gaming enterprises” that HB 17-186 proposes.

Tenorio had said his bill’s remote casino gaming is different from online or Internet gambling. A remote game means any game offered for play to any person not physically on the premises of the operator.

Under Tenorio’s bill, any licensed casino on Rota and Tinian may apply for a license to operate a remote game in a telecasino on Saipan via the Internet, telephone, or other means.

A license fee shall not exceed $1,000 per location per year.

But the House Commerce and Tourism Committee, quoting the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission’s comments, said the federal government’s opposition to certain Internet gaming led to the indictment and arrest on April 5, 2011 of the founders and operators of the three largest online Internet casino gaming sites, including Poker Stars, Absolute Poker, and Full Tilt Poker for violating the U.S. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.

They were charged with bank fraud, illegal gambling offenses, and money laundering.