The House of Representatives Gaming Committee has revised a bill that originally will allow businesses on Saipan that cumulatively own more than 100 hotel rooms to engage in electronic gaming activities.

The original legislation, House Bill 23-85, proposed to amend the Commonwealth Code to add a new subsection to read that “any business that owns more than one hotel and/or resort and cumulatively contains 100 or more rooms shall be allowed to engage in gaming activities,” provided however, that on Saipan “such activities must be conducted in western Garapan.”

The revised legislation, House Bill 23-85, House Substitute 1, proposed to amend the Commonwealth Code by adding a new subsection.

The new subsection reads that “the hotel room is defined as a hotel, lodging house, motel, resort motel, apartment, apartment motel, rooming house, but not a private residence, bed and breakfast, condominium, or similar facility that is within an area or neighborhood that is primarily residential, that 1) serves or functions primarily as a room for transient accommodations by a paying guest and 2) has an area of not less than 135 square feet.”

Rep. Ralph N. Yumul (Ind-Saipan), who is the author of the bill, told Saipan Tribune Monday that with the revised legislation they can now send it out for comments from stakeholders so that they are transparent about what they are doing.

Yumul, who chairs the Gaming Committee, said the original bill was only signed for introductory purpose and they need to fix some provisions.

The substitute bill proposed that gaming activities within Saipan is allowed only in an enclosed area or resort premises having 100 or more rooms, or 30 or more rooms if located on land within the following boundaries in Garapan: the area bordered by Orchid Street on the south, Beach Road on the east, Micro Beach on the north, and Coral Tree Avenue on the west.

Yumul stated in the bill that this legislation will allow for more flexibility for businesses that have the requisite number of hotel rooms, provided these rooms meet the requirements set forth in terms of their primary purpose and design as well as minimum standards for room area.

Yumul said this exemption should also serve to create more jobs and provide more night time activities for tourists who are willing to utilize electronic gaming facilities.

Pursuant to the Tourism Entertainment and Destination Enhancement Act of 2013 (Public Law 18-30), the operation electronic gaming activities were authorized to bolster the CNMI’s economy.

Pursuant to Public Law 18-30, such activities can only be conducted in an enclosed area of a hotel or resort that has 100 or more rooms or with fewer than 100 rooms provided that they are attached to a golf course.

Yumul said due to the CNMI’s current economic state, such requirements have become problematic for electronic gaming activities.

There are some businesses that own more than one resort and/or hotel in the CNMI.

Yumul said pursuant to the room requirement set forth in the Commonwealth Code, none of those individual resorts/hotels are eligible to operate an electronic gaming facility due to the fact that they do not contain more than 100 rooms nor are they attached to a golf course.

The chair underscored the need to amend the statute to allow for businesses operating under certain conditions to operate electronic gaming facilities.

He said such exemptions would argument the electronic gaming industry’s ability to grow while bolstering the CNMI’s economy.