Many members Chamber of Commerce oppose Saipan casinos

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is the largest business organization in the CNMI with some 160 members. Some 69 % of “votes cast” on House Bill 18-45 or the Saipan casino gambling measure were against its passage. About 29 % of the same votes cast supported the Saipan casino bill's passage.

Two Senate committees are now reviewing the Saipan casino bill after passing the House recently. The Chamber, however, has yet to disclose how many votes were cast on both bills. An electronic gaming machine measure or House Bill 18-51 got more support than the Saipan casino bill, but still less than 50 % of the votes cast.

52 percent of the votes cast on HB 18-51 were against its enactment into law, while 41 percent of votes cast supported it. This bill is also now under Senate committee review.

Chamber president Alex Sablan presented the Chamber's survey findings through a letter to House Speaker Joseph Deleon Guerrero (IR-Saipan) and Senate President Ralph Torres. “Concerning H.B. 18-45, 29 percent of votes cast in the survey supported its passage, while 69 percent were against enacting it into law. Concerning H.B. 18-51, 41 percent of all votes cast in the survey supported its passage, while 52 percent were against enacting it into law,” Sablan told Deleon Guerrero and Torres in a letter to be delivered this week.

Torres, meanwhile, said he has faith in the Senate committees reviewing revenue-generating bills such as the Saipan casino gambling and electronic gaming bills.