The Northern Marianas Lottery Commission has rejected the application of Marianas Stars Entertainment Inc for the Saipan casino licence, after it failed to deposit 30 million US dollars in escrow on time.
Marianas Stars Entertainment and the other Saipan casino applicant, Best Sunshine International Ltd, needed to make the refundable deposit by May the 5th.
But CNMI government records show only Best Sunshine International was able to do this.
Our correspondent says the rejection of Marianas Stars Entertainment's application does not mean Best Sunshine International will now get the exclusive casino license.
The Commission's chair, Sixto Igisomar, says the Hong Kong-based investor's business plan still has to undergo a thorough review.

In what has practically become a harbinger of spring, state lawmakers who favor gambling expansion began their annual push Wednesday by debating the latest plan to bring a massive casino to Chicago.

But neither Gov. Pat Quinn nor Mayor Rahm Emanuel breathed much life into the proposal, as they joined Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner in declining to weigh in on the merits of the legislation.

The newest version separates plans for a Chicago casino with up to 10,000 betting positions from a broader package that would add a total of five new casinos across the state and allow slot machines at horse tracks. The shift in strategy is aimed at blunting arguments that the gambling market outside the city is already saturated with existing casinos and video gambling machines at neighborhood bars.

However, peeling a Chicago casino out of a larger gambling package presents its own problems as Downstate and suburban lawmakers may be less inclined to vote in favor unless they get a piece of the gambling pie. But sponsoring Rep. Bob Rita, D-Blue Island, said a new provision that would split revenue from a Chicago casino evenly between the city and state should help win support of legislators and the governor, who has vetoed two previous expansion bills.

While final approval of a major gambling deal has remained elusive for years, proponents contend the potential revenue can’t be ignored. The state faces a budget cliff if portions of a temporary tax hike expire as scheduled in January, while Emanuel is pushing for a property tax increase to help shore up the city’s struggling pension systems.

Under the latest measure, the city could use the money to pay for pensions, education or infrastructure. The state would have to divide the money between education and construction.

“This is an option,” said Rita, who is leading gambling negotiations. “These are the three areas where everybody is saying we need revenue.”

The Emanuel administration did not testify at Wednesday’s hearing, and a mayoral spokeswoman declined to answer specific questions about the proposal or address whether money from a Chicago casino is a viable source of funding to ease the city’s pension woes.

“The mayor does not believe it is appropriate to talk about gaming until we have addressed pension reform,” Emanuel spokeswoman Sarah Hamilton said.

A city pension reform bill is on the governor's desk awaiting action, and it’s possible the mayor does not want to risk angering a re-election-seeking Quinn by publicly pressuring him for a city casino.

The bill also includes a number of other changes aimed at winning the support of Quinn, who has cited a variety of objections to previous casino proposals. One alteration would give ownership of a Chicago casino to the state instead of the city. Another change would toughen restrictions on campaign contributions from gambling interests. A Quinn spokeswoman said the governor has yet to review the proposal.

Caleb Melamed, an attorney for the Illinois Gaming Board, questioned the possible state ownership, saying that structure would differ from current law in which a casino license is awarded to a private operator who overseen by state regulators. Others contended state ownership could lead to corruption or political hiring, and argued the state shouldn’t be on the hook for casino construction costs that a private investor would be willing to pay.

Melamed also questioned the size of the Chicago casino, saying the proposed 10,000 gambling positions would make it the largest casino in the world. Supporters contended there was enough demand to support a gambling operation of that size in Chicago, while Rita noted the city would have the option of scaling that down.

Lawmakers also debated an alternative proposal that calls for a smaller Chicago casino along with four others in southern Cook County, Lake County, Winnebago County and Vermilion County. That measure would also allow for slot machines at most horse racing tracks, though that has been scaled down from previous proposals that allowed 1,200 slots at tracks, the same number of betting position at existing casinos.

Instead, the legislation would limit tracks in Cook County to 600 slots, and those outside of Cook County could have 450. Fairmount Park in Downstate Collinsville would be the only track not allowed to have slots, a nod to resistance from the nearby Casino Queen in East St. Louis. That exemption, as well as the reduced number of slots, has led to opposition from officials representing the horse racing industry who contend their business has been kept at second tier status in Illinois.

Representatives for the state’s 10 existing casinos oppose either expansion proposal, saying their business already has been hit hard by the legalization of video gambling in bars, restaurants and truck stops.

BOSTON MAYOR MARTY WALSH and a group opposed to casinos suggested on Friday that the proposed Mohegan Sun gambling facility is so intertwined with the Suffolk Downs race track straddling East Boston and Revere that residents of both communities should be allowed to decide whether the project should go forward or not.

That’s exactly what happened when Suffolk Downs originally proposed building a casino at the track in partnership with Caesars Entertainment. Revere residents voted in support of that proposal and East Boston residents shot it down. But now that Mohegan Sun is proposing a casino on the Revere portion of the Suffolk Downs track, the gaming operator is insisting that East Boston residents are not entitled to an up-or-down vote on the facility.

Walsh, citing the earlier casino vote by both East Boston and Revere, said denying East Boston host community status on the proposed Mohegan Sun casino is unfair. “First, the casino was 100 percent in East Boston, and the commission named Revere a host community. We can make the case that we’re a host community,” he said.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission plans to decide on May 1 where the proposed Mohegan Sun and Wynn Resorts gambling establishments are located as part of an effort to clarify the host communities. It would seem a fairly simple question to answer, but the brewing legal fight suggests otherwise. The stakes are high. If East Boston is found to be a second host community for the proposed Mohegan Sun casino in Revere, or if Charlestown is named a second host community for the proposed Wynn casino in Everett, most analysts expect voters in the two Boston communities to vote against them and derail them.

The state gaming law defines a gaming establishment as “a gaming area and any other nongaming structure related to the gaming area and may include, but shall not be limited to, hotels, restaurants, or other amenities.”

The original Suffolk Downs/Caesars casino proposal envisioned the casino as an integral part of the track facility. Since part of the track extended into Revere, Revere was considered a host community. A sliver of the parking for the proposed casino was also located in Revere.

Once East Boston voters rejected the Suffolk Downs/Caesars casino proposal, the horse track shifted gears and leased a section of its property in Revere to Mohegan Sun. Mohegan Sun officials, in a brief filed with the Gaming Commission, said their proposed casino will be located entirely in Revere and divorced from the track.

Matt Cameron, of the group No Eastie Casino, said in a telephone interview that it’s impossible to separate the track and the proposed casino. He noted the proposed Mohegan Sun casino is designed to fit snugly around one end of the track and to give patrons a view of the track. He said the track would have to be considered an amenity to the proposed casino.

In a brief filed with the Gaming Commission, Cameron also said the lease between Suffolk Downs and Mohegan Sun contains a profit-sharing arrangement, suggesting Suffolk Downs and Mohegan Sun have some sort of financial partnership.

Suffolk Downs and Mohegan Sun have refused to release their lease agreement, but James McHugh, one of the five state gaming commissioners, said on Jan. 29 at a commission meeting that he had reviewed it. (See page 142 of the meeting transcript.) He said the lease gives Suffolk Downs no operational control over the proposed casino, “although there is a profit-sharing arrangement and some other things that are typical of a commercial lease.”

McHugh also said at the commission meeting that his initial review indicated the proposed Mohegan Sun casino is located entirely in Revere. “Everything they’ve designed is in Revere, and there are no discernible chunks of the facility in Boston,” he said.

Walsh also wants Charlestown residents to vote up or down on the proposed Wynn casino in Everett, but he made no remarks about that facility yesterday and no one has filed testimony yet disputing Wynn’s assertion that the facility is located entirely in Everett.

Walsh has indicated he may boycott the Gaming Commission’s deliberations on host community status because of what he perceives as commission bias against Boston, particularly by commission chairman Stephen Crosby. The city of Boston has asked Crosby to recuse himself from the process because of statements he made at a recent hearing suggesting his frustration with the city’s tactics.

“My job is to make sure the people of East Boston are protected,” Walsh said on Friday. “The rhetoric about the city upset me. This is a game-changer. There will be no second shot. We have to make sure it's right the first time.”

Gaming Commission spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll issued a statement on Friday indicating the commissioners would proceed as planned. She said: “The commission's role is not to participate in or be distracted by the politicizing of certain aspects of this process but instead to remain focused on the mission and challenge at hand: to successfully implement the expanded gaming law in a manner that is participatory, transparent and fair."

An upcoming hearing will likely decide how much of a say Boston will have when it comes to a pair of casino proposals just over the city line.
As proposals in Revere and Everett vie for the Greater Boston region’s lone casino license, Boston is seeking status as a host community. Such a designation would give the city rights to negotiate mitigation and the power to potentially block a casino through binding votes.
Although the proposed Wynn Resorts casino in Everett and Mohegan Sun’s proposed casino in Revere would be built in those communities, Boston officials argue the premises of the proposed establishments and associated amenities would extend across the city line and depend on Boston infrastructure.
In advance of the May 1 Gaming Commission hearing, Boston’s attorneys drafted a critical letter accusing commission Chairman Stephen Crosby of bias and calling for him to recuse himself.
“Taken together, the pending federal lawsuit, recent Commission statements, current press articles, and the Commission’s own actions, create a cloud over the proceedings when Chairman Crosby participates,” Elizabeth Dello Russo, Boston’s senior assistant corporation counsel, wrote in an April 17 letter to the commission.
She referenced Caesars Entertainment’s federal lawsuit accusing Crosby of bias.
Gaming Commission spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said the panel is focused on conducting a fair process.
“The Commission’s role is not to participate in or be distracted by the politicizing of certain aspects of this process but instead to remain focused on the mission and challenge at hand: to successfully implement the expanded gaming law in a manner that is participatory, transparent and fair,” she said in a statement.
Mohegan Sun and Wynn Resorts each agree that Boston qualifies as a surrounding community rather than a host community. Surrounding community status would give Boston rights to negotiate payments to mitigate impacts from a casino, but wouldn’t give the city the power to hold binding votes to approve or reject a proposed gambling facility.
The Mohegan Sun proposal originally included casino facilities in both the Revere and East Boston sections of Suffolk Downs, but was reconfigured after East Boston voters rejected a casino in their neighborhood by referendum. The proposal now calls for a casino located on the Revere side of the line, although the existing Suffolk Downs horse track will be just over the line in Boston.
Casino opposition group No Eastie Casino filed a legal brief with the commission arguing that Boston deserves host community rights.
“The racetrack at Suffolk Downs remains an integral and absolutely inseparable part of the proposed gaming establishment,” No Eastie Casino attorney Matt Cameron wrote.

A player has won almost $183,000 at Rivers Casino on a slot machine.

The unnamed male casino guest received a jackpot pay-out of $182,966 on the $1 Quick Hit Platinum slot machine and is the largest winner in the Rivers Casino history.

Quick Hit Platinum game is a Vegas-style slot with five columns and three lines, if a certain number of logos are hit, the player wins the progressive jackpot - which can add up significantly.

"It is so exciting to see our guests set records like this one," said Craig Clark, Rivers Casino general manager.

He added: "The entire casino erupts when we have a big winner - our team members and other guests join in the celebration. Congratulations!"

Opened in August 2009, Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh claims to have awarded more than $380 million in jackpots - with a jackpot defined as a win of $1,200 or more.

The share price of Cambodian casino owner Entertainment Gaming Asia has fallen below the minimum requirement of the Nasdaq Stock Market, threatening the gaming company’s US listing, according to a statement posted on EGA’s website last week.

EGA has been given 180 days – until October 14 – to lift its share price from $0.87 to the Nasdaq’s minimum of $1 and must hold that price for at least 10 consecutive days, according to the April 23 announcement. If, however, the company fails to reach the target within this period, a second 180-day grace period may be granted before EGA’s stock could be delisted from the exchange.

“The company will work to regain listing compliance and believes that it has options available to ensure continued listing on Nasdaq,” reads the announcement from the casino developer owned by Melco Group, a Macau gaming giant.

“Management and the board of directors are evaluating these options to determine the optimal course of action.”

At market close on Friday in US the firm’s price sat at $0.82.

EGA operates two Dreamworld-branded casinos on Cambodia’s border with Thailand. The company’s Pailin province operation – valued at $2.5 million – houses some 26 gaming tables and 52 electronic gambling machines (EGMs).

In Poipet, EGA operates a gaming floor with 300 EGMs.

The firm also supplies 670 EGMs to NagaWorld, the country’s largest gaming operator.

The Nasdaq noncompliance notice is the latest in a string of bad results for the gaming company after recording a 9 per cent revenue slump from $26.8 million in 2012 to $24.3 million in 2013, according to the firm’s 2013 annual report, which notes that further losses are expected.

“For the year ended December 31, 2013, we incurred a net loss from continuing operations of approximately $5.2 million and may continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future,” EGA’s annual report says.

To add to the company’s woes, the annual report states that EGA’s NagaWorld contract expires in 2016 and “there can be no assurances that we will be able to renew the contract under similar conditions, if at all”.

In January, EGA announced it was walking away from its Pailin casino operation, which opened in May 2012. The firm wrote off its initial $2.5 million investment in the venture, citing a failure to lure gamers from across the Thai border.

Staff at EGA yesterday confirmed the company was still overseeing operations in Pailin. However, they declined to provide any further details on the struggling casino.

Michael Ting, gaming analyst with Hong Kong-based CIMB, said NagaWorld’s monopoly on the Phnom Penh gaming sector makes it difficult for smaller-scale operations to compete, especially in luring high-roller clientele.

“Going forward, Cambodia’s border casinos’ piece of the pie might begin to decrease unless they start to attract higher-spending clients. So far the attraction hasn’t shown,” he said, adding that a lack of information from casinos in Cambodia’s border towns makes it difficult to asses the situation.

“In regards to the border casinos, if Vietnam or Thailand do establish a gaming market, that will certainly affect their gamer numbers and profits.”

NagaWorld holds a monopoly agreement as the only gaming operator allowed within 322 kilometres (200 miles) of Phnom Penh until 2035.

EGA and Melco Group did not respond to requests for comment.