• Subscribe
  • Magazines
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
Sunday 1 June 2025
  • zh-hant 中文
  • ja 日本語
  • en English
IAG
Advertisement
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
    • Africa
    • Australia
    • Cambodia
    • China
    • CNMI
    • Europe
    • Hong Kong
    • India
    • Japan
    • Laos
    • Latin America
    • Malaysia
    • Macau
    • Nepal
    • New Zealand
    • North America
    • North Korea
    • Philippines
    • Russia
    • Singapore
    • South Korea
    • Sri Lanka
    • Thailand
    • UAE
    • Vietnam
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • 中文
  • 日本語
No Result
View All Result
IAG
No Result
View All Result

Imperial Pacific prohibited from working with junkets amid fears over China blacklist

Ben Blaschke by Ben Blaschke
Tue 27 Apr 2021 at 05:25
Pacific puzzle

Imperial Palace · Saipan

49
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC has been effectively banned from working with junkets in yet another blow to its efforts to remain feasible.

According to a report by Marianas Variety, the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC) of the Northern Mariana Islands has issued an order prohibiting the issuance or renewal of any licenses related to junket activity – a decision said to be in response to threats from mainland China over cross-border gambling.

As reported by Inside Asian Gaming, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced last August that it had established a “blacklist” of overseas tourist destinations it said were disrupting the nation’s outbound tourism market by opening casinos targeting mainland Chinese customers, and promised to enforce travel restrictions upon those named on the blacklist.

That promise, seemingly targeting jurisdictions and operators utilizing junkets, resulted in the CCC stating such restrictions could have“very serious implications not only on casino gambling here but on the tourism industry in general.”

CNMI Governor Ralph Torres is also said to have written to the CCC earlier this month expressing “concerns about the present junket program” and asking that they “revisit this provision of the regulations, repeal this allowance for junket operator licenses, and enact the necessary safeguards and penalties to ensure that the operations of the casino licensee do not permit junket activities within the casino.”

In response, the CCC said it has now “determined that a comprehensive review of the junket program is warranted and no licenses under the present program should be renewed, nor new licenses issued until a comprehensive review has occurred, and new regulations are promulgated which address the governor’s concerns.”

IPI garnered headlines around the world in 2017 after reporting VIP rolling chip volume of US$32.4 billion across just 16 VIP tables for the previous year – a figure that defied belief given The Venetian Macao’s 100 VIP tables generated roll of US$28.9 billion.

However, the company has since reported significant problems collecting on its debts with trade receivables still owing totaling HK$9.05 billion (US$1.17 billion) as of late last year. IPI’s Saipan casino, Imperial Palace • Saipan, has been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This latest junket blow comes after IPI was informed last Friday that its casino license had been suspended for failure to comply with certain requirements under its license agreement. The company has six months to pay more than US$25 million fees and fines or risk having its license revoked.

RelatedPosts

PhilWeb falls to US$10.5 million loss in FY24 on asset impairments

Philippines Anti-Money Laundering Council launches investigation into laundering of murdered billionaire’s ransom through casino junkets

Tue 13 May 2025 at 06:48
Philippines casino GGR up 630% quarter-on-quarter in 3Q20

Philippines removed from global AML “grey list”

Sat 22 Feb 2025 at 04:40
Manila to drop all capacity restrictions from 1 March

Philippines to learn fate this week in fight to exit global anti-money laundering grey list

Mon 17 Feb 2025 at 04:54
China to crackdown on cross-border gambling promotion during Chinese New Year as deadline issued for surrender  

China sentences mainland man to six years in prison for organizing citizens to gamble in Macau

Tue 21 Jan 2025 at 17:57
Load More
Tags: CNMICommonwealth Casino CommissionGovernor Ralph TorresImperial Pacific InternationalImperial Palace‧SaipanJunkets
Share20Share3
Ben Blaschke

Ben Blaschke

A former sports journalist in Sydney, Australia, Ben has been Managing Editor of Inside Asian Gaming since early 2016. He played a leading role in developing and launching IAG Breakfast Briefing in April 2017 and oversees as well as being a key contributor to all of IAG’s editorial pursuits.

Current Issue

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

Editorial – Foreigner-only casinos: Seize the day

by Ben Blaschke
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:38

I was recently asked by someone working at a foreigner-only casino for my thoughts on the outlook for the Asian...

On the brink

On the brink

by Pierce Chan
Thu 29 May 2025 at 13:27

The transition period for Macau’s 11 satellite casinos is set to expire at the end of this year, after which...

A moral defense of gambling

A moral defense of gambling

by Andrew Russell
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:19

Economist Andrew Russell explores the differences between community benefit and in-principle arguments for the existence of a legal gambling industry...

Face to face

Face to face

by Ben Blaschke
Wed 28 May 2025 at 18:08

Konami caught the eye at the recent G2E Asia show in Macau with its SYNK Vision Tables, which utilize facial...

Evolution Asia
Aristocrat
GLI
Mindslot
Mindslot
Solaire
Hann
Tecnet
Nustar
Jumbo

Related Posts

10 Years Ago – Reimagining Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka gazettes draft bill to establish Gambling Regulatory Authority

by Newsdesk
Sat 31 May 2025 at 06:03

A draft bill that would establish an official regulator for the Sri Lankan gaming industry, to be known as the Gambling Regulatory Authority, has taken another step forward after being gazetted. According to the Sri Lanka Mirror, the official announcement...

RGB International signs agreement to distribute KL Saberi and Atlas gaming machines

After record-breaking sales in 2024, Malaysia’s RGB sees 1Q25 profit fall to

by Newsdesk
Sat 31 May 2025 at 05:53

Malaysian gaming product distributor RGB International Bhd has reported group-wide revenue of MYR73.6 million (US$17.3 million) for the three months to 31 March 2025, down 65% year-on-year due to a lower number of products sold. The figure was also 79%...

Robert Goldstein to step aside as LVS Chairman and CEO from March 2026, replaced by Patrick Dumont

Robert Goldstein: Macau gaming market challenged by increased competition, online gambling and US-Sino trade war

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 30 May 2025 at 06:42

Las Vegas Sands (LVS) Chairman and CEO Robert Goldstein has bemoaned the lingering impact of the US-China trade war, as well as increased domestic and regional competition and the rise of online gambling across Asia for sustained flatness in the...

Industry hopes Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable can establish “common ground” with those opposing legal casinos

Industry hopes Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable can establish “common ground” with those opposing legal casinos

by Ben Blaschke
Fri 30 May 2025 at 05:38

Industry figures taking part in the Thai Entertainment Complex Roundtable (TECR) next Thursday 5 June hope to find common ground with those who oppose Thailand’s Entertainment Complex Bill, citing the opportunity to use an evidence-based approach to achieve outcomes that...



IAG

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • SUBSCRIBE FREE
  • NEWSFEED
  • MAG ARTICLES
  • VIDEO
  • OPINION
  • TAGS
  • REGIONAL
  • EVENTS
  • CONSULTING
  • CONTRIBUTORS
  • MAGAZINES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • ADVERTISE
  • 中文
  • 日本語

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • 中文
  • 日本語
  • Subscribe
  • Newsfeed
  • Mag Articles
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Tags
  • Regional
  • Events
  • Contributors
  • Magazines
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • About
  • Home for G2E Asia

© 2005-2024
Inside Asian Gaming.
All rights reserved.

  • 中文
  • English
  • 日本語