The Governor of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Ralph Torres vetoed a piece of legislation which would have made some poker arcades legal. This, on the other hand, would have allowed them to continue operating in some Saipan villages.
The bill, called House Local Bill 20-48, has reached the Governor’s desk after it was officially passed by the Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation last week.
Now, Governor Torres has shared his intention to veto the local measure under which certain areas in Saipan would have been rezoned in order for some poker arcades to be allowed to remain in certain residential areas. Last Friday, Torres said in an interview with a local media that he already met with some lawmakers to discuss his concerns on the matter.
He shared his fears that losing some poker arcades would end up losing money which is important to local communities, and in his opinion, the authorities need to find the right balance for the region. The measure has earlier passed local legislation in spite of the opposition from the Commonwealth Zoning Board, which has explained that the piece of legislation was not in line with the local law under which poker parlours needed to be moved away from villages and into so-called designated areas.
SHEFA Funding Must Be Preserved, Says Governor Torres
For about a year now, the CNMI has been trying to relocate certain poker arcades from local villages and other non-specific areas into special designated zones. According to estimates, the relocation of the poker machines that are to be included in the process would strip the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands of approximately a $1.4-million revenue, which has been used as one of the main sources of funds for the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance scholarship program (SHEFA).
Governor Torres explained that he appreciated the work of the Saipan delegation members, as their efforts resulted in securing the funding for the SHEFA. According to him, losing the poker industry through relocation of certain machines would end up losing SHEFA funds for the students, who depend on that scholarship program.
Back in December 2017, the Zoning Administrator Therese Ogumoro wrote in a letter to the Saipan delegation that the House Local Bill 20-48 would be devastating for the purposes of Saipan Local Law aimed at moving poker arcades away from residential areas and into so-called designated zones. According to Mrs. Ogumoro, three poker arcades would be allowed to continue operating in Kagman under the bill and also said that the piece of legislation would further allow new poker and gambling machine businesses to be run.
Currently, there are approximately 120 poker machines in the CNMI, each of which brings an annual renewal fee of $12,000.
- Author
Daniel Williams
