Tinian delegation hears public testimony on bill to allow internet-only casino licenses and a local stablecoin

Tinian legislative leaders held a public hearing Tuesday evening on Senate Local Bill 24-01, a proposal to amend Tinian Local Law 21-09 to permit internet-only casino licenses and to establish a Tinian “stable token” for regulatory and financial oversight.

The hearing, held March 4, 2025, at the Tinian Middle and High School cafeteria, featured testimony from municipal leaders, former officials and members of the public. Supporters said the changes could create new revenue and jobs; critics urged stronger safeguards on licensing, oversight and financial controls.

The bill would remove a current requirement that internet gaming operators maintain a physical hotel-casino complex and would authorize the municipality to operate a blockchain-based stable token to facilitate online gaming transactions. "I strongly support Senate Local Bill 24-01, which seeks to amend Tinian Local Law 21-09 to allow internet only casino licenses and establish Tinian stable token for regulatory and financial oversight," Mayor Edwin Piaudam said in testimony.

Chairman Joseph E. Santos of the Twentieth Municipal Council also voiced support, saying the bill "is a crucial step towards enhancing the economic landscape of Tinian" and that properly regulated internet gaming could "create new revenue streams that will support local initiatives, improve public services, and foster growth in our local economy."

Former Mayor and attorney JP Senecles, speaking in a personal capacity, said he backed the proposal while urging attention to specific safeguards. Senecles noted the bill’s limit on the number of internet licenses—"I understand this one has a limit of 10, which I wholeheartedly agree with"—and stressed that operators must comply with federal anti-money-laundering and know-your-customer rules overseen by FinCEN.

Not all public comment was supportive. A resident commenter expressed concern that allowing internet gaming without a land-based casino could encourage "shoddy and shady shops" and pointed to past cases elsewhere where internet operations were closed amid illicit activity. The commenter asked whether municipal officials and the Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission have the technical capacity to regulate virtual operators and urged provisions to ensure licensing transparency and local accountability.

Several commenters also raised specific regulatory and operational questions recorded in the hearing: whether casino chip rules (currently treated as licensee property) would conflict with a provision making tokens municipal property or municipal trust; how many and what type of municipal staff (for example, IT specialists) would be required to operate and oversee a blockchain-based token; and whether prospective licensees must maintain a physical presence or local offices to ensure transparency and enforcement.

The Tinian Casino Gaming Control Commission submitted written comments to the delegation for consideration, and the chair said the delegation would seek an opinion from the office of the attorney general as part of the bill’s review. No formal legislative action on the bill was taken at the hearing; the session was a public-comment proceeding to collect input and identify legal or technical issues for the delegation.

The hearing opened and closed routine business by voice vote: the delegation adopted the hearing agenda and later adjourned the hearing. Both were carried by voice vote; the delegation did not record a roll-call tally at the hearing.

The delegation said it will take the public comments into consideration, pursue legal sufficiency review, solicit additional agency input and incorporate technical or regulatory changes before any further legislative action.