Battle Begins In Saipan After House Passes Casino Gambling Bill

Speaker Froilan Tenorio received a positive vote from the House of Representatives on Tuesday for his bill legalizing casino gambling in Saipan. The bill passed by a ten to six vote, but the battle has only begun in Saipan.

The Senate is expected to take strong opposition to the legislation. Senate Leader Pete Reyes went as far as to say the bill will "get killed in the Senate." Others, however were not so sure that would be the case.

Tenorio made the bill hard to pass up and gave the Senate something strong to consider. Casino gambling revenue share would be increased for Tinian and Rota by a large amount. Rota and Tinian would receive twenty-five percent each from the revenue, and Saipan would get the other fifty percent.

Concern immediately grew among the citizens of Saipan who wish to keep their territory free from casinos. The tropical paradise has been looked at as serene, and some residents wanted to keep that pristine image, as opposed to being considered a gambling destination.

Macau, the US, Singapore, and Malaysia have all expanded their gaming options in recent years. Casino gambling is becoming one of the top ways for lawmakers to increase tax revenue and help balance budgets. In Macau, the casino industry has grown so much, that Macau has passed Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world.

One of the main concerns for lawmakers in Saipan was that no legislator would receive financial benefits from passing the casino bill. Rep. Joseph Deleon Guerrero wants assurances in the bill that no government officials can have any part in the private operations of the casinos. Tenorio claimed the legislation already had language addressing this issue.

August 25, 2010
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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