Northern Mariana Islands may abolish Commonwealth Casino Commission

    Northern Mariana Islands.- The House Committee on Gaming is reportedly drafting a bill that would dissolve the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) and enhance the authority of the Lottery Commission to take over the casino regulator's main functions.

    In an interview with Mariana's Variety, committee chair rep. Ralph N. Yumul also said the committee is analyzing the possibility of broadening the types of gaming permitted in the CNMI. He noted that many residents are opposed to having a physical casino on the island, so authorities are exploring the option to make the islands a hub for offshore gaming.

    This would require the Lottery Commission to permit internet gaming. Yumul said that rather than specifically legislate to allow online gaming, legislation would give the regulator the authority to determine which gaming it deems appropriate for the Commonwealth. “It will be up to the lottery commission to decide which types of gaming can be allowed in the CNMI,” he said.

    He added that the committee is searching for a suitable model from the US that could be adapted to the CNMI.

    In January, CCC board chair Edward DeLeon Guerrero said the commission was “in desperate need of money” and that commissioners were owed payment. The commission's office at the Springs Plaza in Gualo Rai has been closed since January 19, 2023 , following the closure of IPI, which halted casino operations in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since IPI's shutdown, the CCC has not collected its annual regulatory fee of US$3.15m, leading to layoffs of over 50 employees. The commission continues to maintain regulatory responsibilities.