Pacific

CNMI Senate again votes against Saipan casino bill

16:19 pm on 27 November 2013

The Senate of the Northern Marianas has rejected the Saipan casino legalisation bill which the House of Representatives passed last June.

In their session on Rota, senators voted 7-1 to file the bill, which essentially killed the revenue-generating measure that could have restored the 25-percent cut in retirees' pension.

This is the third time that the Senate rejected, in one form or another, a similar gambling proposal that Saipan voters had also twice rejected.

Besides rejection by Saipan voters twice, a Saipan casino bill was already rejected twice by the Senate; the last one was two years ago.

Tinian and Rota voters allowed casino operations on their respective island.

Currently only the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino is in operation.