Rota – The Rota Casino Gaming Commission, in a media release, says it has amended its rules and regulations to accommodate the slowdown in the global economic environment and the numerous challenges facing new developments on Rota. “We have worked tirelessly for the past month with a regional gaming expert to identify areas in our rules and regulations that were in conflict with the current gaming investor environment.

Saipan – The House of Representatives passed legislation to remove a restriction on the use of funds collected from Rota casino licenses and fees. The bill, now awaiting Senate action, will authorize the Rota Casino Gaming Commission to utilize collected fees even though the casinos the paid the fees are not ready to open. Under existing law, the commission is prohibited from using such funds.

Rota – Three as of yet unidentified foreign investors are eying the early steps officials here are taking to develop a casino gaming industry, yet progress on that effort appears to have stalled for now as the local government awaits funding from Saipan. “There are at least three investors that have already expressed their interest in a casino here,” Diego Songao, chairman of the Rota Casino Gaming Commission said in a Wednesday interview.

Saipan, CNMI (Marianas Variety) – Saipan, which rejected casino gaming overwhelmingly in 1979, has once again said „no“ to it, but the same proposal finally got the required two-thirds support of Rota’s voters. The Saipan Casino Act initiative, which also required two-thirds of the total votes cast, received only 3,492 votes with 4,721, or 57 percent, voting „no.“ Saipan has 866 absentee voters. But on Rota, the casino initiative received 788 votes, or 84.5 percent, with only 144 voting against it.