Saipan casino regulator to mull licensing four new junkets

Sep 24, 2019 Newsdesk Latest News, Top of the deck, World  

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The casino regulator on the Pacific island of Saipan is to discuss on Thursday whether to approve applications for an aggregate of four casino junket operator licences.

Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC is currently the only business authorised to run a casino complex on Saipan – the Imperial Pacific Resort.

Saipan is part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a United States jurisdiction.

The four junket firms to be discussed by the Commonwealth Casino Commission are: American Bopan (CNMI) LLC, with Huang Mingyu named as manager; P’Art Corp, with Park Jun Ho as president; Palm Tree Ventures (CNMI) LLC, with Jiang Jian Hui as manager; and Tropical Sands (CNMI) LLC, with Cui Zhan Hui as manager.

The same meeting will also hear a request to withdraw a junket licence application on behalf of Island Fun CNMI LLC, in the name of a person called Zhou Wei.

In late August, local newspaper Marianas Variety had quoted Edward Guerrero, executive director of the Commonwealth Casino Commission on Saipan, as saying only one of the then-five licensed junkets in Saipan was as of that date bringing gamblers to the island.

Big Bang Entertainment LLC, in the name of Young Jang Du, had been “delivering” on its commitment to Imperial Pacific International (CNMI), a unit of Hong Kong-listed gaming investor Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd.

Thursday’s hearing will also deal with an application for renewal of a two-year “casino key employee” licence for Mark Brown, chairman of Imperial Pacific International (CNMI). His current permit is due to expire on September 30.

Thursday’s meeting will additionally hear a report on the “partial opening” this month of some villas at Imperial Pacific Resort.

In other developments, the Marianas Variety reported on Monday that two senior officials of the Commonwealth Casino Commission had recommended Saipan’s gaming regulator be turned into a law enforcement agency in order to be able to tackle any gaming-related crime.

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