Payment promise staves off CNMI casino asset sale

9:49 am on 5 April 2021
Inside the Imperial Pacific Casino in Saipan, CNMI. 30 September 2019.

Inside the Imperial Pacific Casino in Saipan, CNMI. 30 September 2019. Photo: Imperial Pacific Casino

The embattled Northern Marianas casino operator Imperial Pacific has reached a deal that will ensure its assets are not sold off.

It has to make nine payments to the U.S. Department of Labor for a total of $US1.4 million by December.

Under a deal suspending its receivership in the U.S. District Court for the NMI, the Saipan casino will have to pay $164,270 a month until December.

The company must also pay more than $US2 million in outstanding wages and overtime going back five years, restore workers' housing and put money into an escrow account to protect future employees.

In February, The head of the casino had been found in contempt of court for failure to comply with a subpoena relating to a lawsuit filed by workers of a former sub-contractor.

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