Northern Marianas Gov. Ralph Torres has rejected a bill that will allow the operations of poker arcades in select Saipan villages, The Saipan Tribune reported.

In his veto transmittal letter to Rep. John Paul Sablan, Torres expressed reservations on the poker bill’s impact on the economic growth of Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) if House Bill (HB) 20-48 will be enacted. HB 20-48, which Sablan authored, seeks to transform certain lots in southwestern Saipan into mixed commercial districts to accommodate the relocation of poker arcades from villages and non-specific areas.

However, Torres pointed out that it will cost the CNMI government some $1.4 million in revenue from the annual poker machine licensing fee if he signs the bill. There is an estimated 120 poker machines in the CNMI, each remitting $12,000 in renewal fee to the government annually.

The fees from poker go straight to the government’s socio-economic projects such as the Northern Marianas Trades Institute, non-profit and community organizations, and the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance (SHEFA), which Torres said is a crucial lifeline for students who wish to improve their lives through higher education.