A bill has been introduced in the Northern Marianas to tax gambling businesses on Saipan in an effort to raise funds for the government.
Minority lawmaker Christina Sablan is behind the bill, which proposes a 10 percent gambling revenue tax on all gambling establishments on the island, including the casino at the yet to be completed Imperial Palace.
There are hundreds of poker arcades on Saipan as well as other gaming establishments.
Pokie parlours on Saipan in the Northern Marianas have sued the government in an attempt to halt a law prohibiting them from operating in villages on the island.
A bill that would have delayed the time by which some poker arcades had to be moved in the Northern Marianas has been defeated.
There are more signs of community concern about casino developments in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. Since casino operations on the CNMI's main island Saipan were legalised two years ago… Audio
The CNMI government has forged the single largest development deal in the territory's recent history.
for ad-free news and current affairs
