Tinian Dynasty gaming licence revoked in the Northern Mariana Islands

The sole casino currently present on the island of Tinian in the Northern Mariana Islands has had its licence revoked by local authorities.

Gaming commissioners in the US-administrated Pacific Island commonwealth voted unanimously last month to strip Hong Kong Entertainment (HKE) – which had run the Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino – of its right to operate, citing a number of instances where the company had failed to meet the conditions of its business licence.

The Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission (TCGCC) alleged that HKE failed to meet audit requirements between 2008 and 2014 whilst also falling short of a commitment to set up bank accounts based in the Northern Mariana Islands for casino gaming transactions. It also claimed that the operator had turned over the dayto- day management of the property to a third party without gaining TCGCC consent.

The Tinian Dynasty closed its casino floor last September, with HKE attributing the move to a marked decline in visitor traffic in the wake of Typhoon Souledor. Three months later, the company filed for bankruptcy, and in March the shutters went down on its hotel facilities.

According to local daily the Saipan Tribune, Tinian mayor Joey Patrick San Nicolas stated that Tim Chen, owner of Chinese Strategic Holdings – one of HKE’s major creditors – may be interested in recouping outstanding debt owed to his company by taking over the property in the near future.