Imperial Pacific VIP turnover falls as worker protests continue

Saipan casino operator Imperial Pacific International Holdings (IPI) saw its VIP turnover take a hit in April while angry workers tasked with building IPI’s permanent gaming venue took their protests to the Chinese government.

On Tuesday, IPI announced that unaudited VIP turnover at its temporary Saipan casino Best Sunshine Live hit $2.15b in April, down from $2.96b in March 2017 and from $3.2b in April 2016. So far this year, IPI’s monthly turnover has ranged as low as $1.67b in February and as high as $5.6b in January.

Meanwhile, a group of Chinese construction workers continue to protest against the dodgy contractors IPI enlisted to build its permanent Saipan gaming venue, the Imperial Pacific Resort. On Friday, nearly 100 workers formerly employed by Gold Mantis Construction staged a protest march to the site of the unfinished Imperial Pacific Resort to complain about unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions.

The workers were among the nearly 200 Chinese nationals who were detained by Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) labor officials a month ago based on the workers’ lack of proper work visas. The 91 workers claim Gold Mantis failed to pay their final month’s wages and also failed to provide their food and lodging.