Operator News
North Marianas – Imperial Pacific International has its licence suspended indefinitely
By Phil - 23 April 2021
Imperial Pacific International has had its license to operate the Imperial Palace in Saipan suspended indefinitely by the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Having violated five orders of the Casino Control Act, the operator has been ordered to pay $6.6m in total penalty within six months, and pay immediately $15.5m and $3.1m in annual casino exclusive license fee and annual casino regulatory fee, respectively.
It was unable to pay its US$3.1m annual regulatory fee in 2020 due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and also failed to comply with an order to pay money owed to vendors, has breached minimum capital requirements, opted not to pay the cost of its annual US$15.5m casino license in 2020, and was twice unable to pay US$20m owed to the community benefit fund in 2018 and 2019.
CCC chair Edward DeLeon Guerrero said: “We are suspending the license indefinitely until IPI complies with those orders.”
The casino and hotel have been closed since March due to COVID-19, with the operator confirming a US$367m loss for FY2020.
