The islands of Tinian and Rota, part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) have been in the news this week. A US$40 million plan for a casino and condominiums has been put on hold on Tinian while Bridge Investment Group ‘re-evaluates’ the project. The global economic credit crunch and the federal takeover of CNMI immigration by June have been blamed for the halt to construction. It is said that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's regulations excluding China from the list of countries granted a visa waiver to enter the CNMI will have an impact on the project.

Bridge Investment says there will be no progress on the casino site until a clear and final US Immigration regulatory environment can be determined. The company originally spoke about a US$200 million development project on Tinian but this was scaled back to US$40 million early last year. The federalisation of local immigration is expected to cost the CNMI around US$183 million in lost economic opportunities.

On Rota, where casino licensing is a new development, the rules and regulations to govern a casino industry are now in effect. In the near future the Rota Casino Gaming Commission is to launch a Website to provide the public, potential investors and tourists with essential information. The Rota Casino Act of 2007 provides specific guidance to monitor and safeguard the casino industry and to protect the interests of the public, and the Commission wants to ensure that the rules and regulations are attractive to potential investors and conducive to the operation of casinos.” (E-01.30.09)

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