Imperial Pacific says it’s not subject of FinCEN probe

Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd has publicly denied media reports that it is the subject of a US financial watchdog investigation.

Over the weekend, Bloomberg reported that the runaway success of Imperial Pacific’s temporary casino Best Sunshine Live had sparked a probe by the US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Saipan is part of the Northern Mariana Islands, a US commonwealth.

On Tuesday, Imperial Pacific requested and was granted a halt in trading of its shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. That same day, Imperial Pacific issued a statement saying Bloomberg’s “allegations are false” and that Imperial Pacific “has never received any investigation notice” from FinCEN.

Imperial Pacific said it has implemented “stringent internal control measures and has fully applied an anti-money laundering system” that complies with all applicable US laws and regulations.