Imperial Pacific International Holdings Ltd, a company based out of Hong Kong is constructing a $7.1 billion mega-casino resort in Saipan, an island located in the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands, which belongs to the United States. This new casino resort is being rolled out in five phases and is estimated to have a total of 3,500 slot machines, 1,600 gaming tables, 300 luxury villas and 4,252 luxury hotel rooms.

The company recently announced that it had hired Yiu Ling Kwong to be its new chief operating officer for the multi-billion Saipan casino project. Kwong is a veteran in the casino industry and has over four decades of experience most of which was spent in Macau. He has handled a number of departments from operations, training, human resources and staffing.

Kwong has worked with some of the biggest casino brands in the industry having first started out with STDM SA, the parent company of Macau’s SJM Holdings Ltd and helped set up the Pharaoh’s Palace Casino. He also held the post of the COO for Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd’s Altira Macau. Prior to accepting the post with the Saipan casino, Kwong was working for Macau’s MGM China Holdings Ltd and served as the executive VP for casino operations.

Imperial Pacific had earlier applied for a temporary casino license to be approved with the objective of opening out a smaller gambling facility to train its staff. The temporary casino got approval for 40 gaming tables and also for real money to be used to give casino employees hands on training experience. The soft launch was carried out on the 26th of July and VIP gaming operations commenced on the 1st of November. The company confirmed that it would conduct an official opening ceremony for its temporary casino on the 27th of November and would begin to network with junket operators from December 2015.

The company has also decided to hire two senior executives along with Mr. Kwong and has signed on Ho Ieng Kun as its senior vice president of table games and Cheang Ka Hou as its new senior vice president of slot operations. Ho brings over three decades of gambling experience most of which was gained in Macau where he was responsible for casino management and operations while Cheang brings over a decade of experience in electronic gaming.

Imperial Pacific made this announcement after filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and also confirmed that it was appointing retired federal Judge Eugene Raymond Sullivan as an independent non-executive director. The judge has signed up for a one year contract starting from the 26th of November and the contract has a renewal clause based on one year durations.