The Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) of the Northern Mariana Islands is looking to expand its regulatory oversight in an effort to avoid inclusion on a Chinese blacklist of overseas tourist destinations targeting mainland customers.
China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced in August last year that it had established the blacklist which would see travel restrictions imposed on Chinese citizens going to named overseas cities and scenic spots. Although the Ministry did not reveal the identities of any nations on the list, it issued a follow-up statement last month claiming it was preparing to expand the blacklist.
The news appears to have caught the attention of regulators in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which is now looking to avoid China’s wrath.
According to CCC executive director Andrew Yeom, key to staying off the blacklist is adequate junket and AML controls.
“We will strengthen the anti-money laundering initiative to make sure that we let the world know that we’re here to clear up all the regulations in terms of the Anti-Money Laundering concerns,” Yeom told a House Committee on Gaming hearing, according to the Saipan Tribune.
In response to questions from the floor about the potential impact on local casino operations, including Imperial Pacific’s troubled Saipan integrated resort, Yeom suggested China is mainly concerned about money laundering and cross-border money transfers. The solution, he added, was to possess strong regulatory powers to combat such activity.
“This is something that I have consulted with other experts in the world. That should help us to continue the casino operation,” Yeom said.
Saipan Tribune also quoted Imperial Pacific’s SVP of Marketing and Public Affairs, Tao Xing, who noted that “so far the [blacklist] hasn’t been published. We have been monitoring that closely.”
Tao added that IPI plans to shift its business model from VIP to mass market and premium mass to stay off China’s radar – although he said Saipan’s small size in comparison with other gaming jurisdictions across Asia could prove beneficial.
“The last point I just want to make is that, given all the destinations, if you look at Australia, if you look at Singapore, our size is relatively small,” he said.
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