The Northern Marianas House of Representatives has passed a controversial amendment to the casino bill.
The bill sought to correct ambiguities in the casino law, and the new law paves the way for the Lottery Commission to award an exclusive Saipan casino licence.
This would trigger the release of a 30 million US dollar deposit and allow for it to be used to meet deferred pensioner payments, among other things.
The House Floor Leader Ralph Demapan's bill now goes to the Senate.
