All bets are off at carnival grounds
Gambling activities as the casino facility at the Liberation Carnival grounds have folded at least temporarily.
December 3, 2014Updated: December 3, 2014
By KUAM News
By KUAM News by Sabrina Salas Matanane
Guam - Gambling activities as the casino facility at the Liberation Carnival grounds have folded at least temporarily.
Sinajana mayor and Guam Historical Liberation Society vice chairperson Robert Hoffman said, "The gaming that is taking place at Tiyan it has stopped, it has ceased at the request of Rev and Tax for now while they continue to figure out on the regulation side and on their end."
There are ongoing investigations being conducted by the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Revenue & Taxation into the gaming activities that are being conducted in the former carnival casino facility. The games of chance have continued even past liberation celebrations during which they are legal.
The Mayors Council of Guam has been allowing the Guam Historical Liberation Society to operate gaming activities. The MCOG defends they've received the required authorizations from the governor for villages to hold gaming activities in Tiyan as part of their fiesta celebrations. The Governor's Office however has responded they were given authorization for gaming - just not in Tiyan but within their respective jurisdictions.
The situation has not only prompted investigations by DRT and the AG, but a request has also been made to the Guam OPA to conduct a compliance audit. "What we are working with right now, we're working with the attorney general and cooperating with everyone we need to be, we want to clear the names of the mayors they did ask for more documents that they did request, because they did actually request for more documents than what we originally submitted so we're actually on point with that and from there our basic question is it the location that is the problem or the activity that is the problem and right now the activity is legal and it is within our realms and rights and responsibilities as elected officials on our end to request for that location wise that's where the gray area is and that's where we're willing to sit down with rev and tax and everybody," he said.
Hoffman confirms the gaming activities ceased the weekend of Thanksgiving, he adds although Dededo was scheduled to have gaming activities in Tiyan this weekend, that has since been cancelled.
Guam - Gambling activities as the casino facility at the Liberation Carnival grounds have folded at least temporarily.
Sinajana mayor and Guam Historical Liberation Society vice chairperson Robert Hoffman said, "The gaming that is taking place at Tiyan it has stopped, it has ceased at the request of Rev and Tax for now while they continue to figure out on the regulation side and on their end."
There are ongoing investigations being conducted by the Attorney General's Office and the Department of Revenue & Taxation into the gaming activities that are being conducted in the former carnival casino facility. The games of chance have continued even past liberation celebrations during which they are legal.
The Mayors Council of Guam has been allowing the Guam Historical Liberation Society to operate gaming activities. The MCOG defends they've received the required authorizations from the governor for villages to hold gaming activities in Tiyan as part of their fiesta celebrations. The Governor's Office however has responded they were given authorization for gaming - just not in Tiyan but within their respective jurisdictions.
The situation has not only prompted investigations by DRT and the AG, but a request has also been made to the Guam OPA to conduct a compliance audit. "What we are working with right now, we're working with the attorney general and cooperating with everyone we need to be, we want to clear the names of the mayors they did ask for more documents that they did request, because they did actually request for more documents than what we originally submitted so we're actually on point with that and from there our basic question is it the location that is the problem or the activity that is the problem and right now the activity is legal and it is within our realms and rights and responsibilities as elected officials on our end to request for that location wise that's where the gray area is and that's where we're willing to sit down with rev and tax and everybody," he said.
Hoffman confirms the gaming activities ceased the weekend of Thanksgiving, he adds although Dededo was scheduled to have gaming activities in Tiyan this weekend, that has since been cancelled.