Saipan senate committee seeks Imperial Pacific financial info

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) gaming officials want to take a closer look at the financial aspects of casino operator Imperial Pacific International Holdings (IPI).

On Wednesday, the Marianas Variety reported that members of the Senate Committee on Gaming plan to conduct a tour of IPI’s new Imperial Pacific Resort Hotel Saipan next month. The Resort had a partial opening of its gaming operations in July after repeatedly missing its targeted launch dates.

In advance of that tour, Committee chair Sen. Justo Quitugua has asked the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) to furnish information that will provide “an in-depth understanding of the financial aspects of the gaming industry.” The Committee says it wants the info by September 15.

Among the documents requested by the Committee are a detailed breakdown of gaming-related funds collected and taxed, as well as precise formulas for how those taxes were calculated. The Committee also wants to compare the casino’s rolling chip volume versus its gross gaming revenue.