Poker fees redirected

 
Northern Marianas Islands Governor Eloy Inos signed into a law a bill directing $3 million in fees from poker machines to the Saipan Higher Education Financial Assistance program. Another $500,000 in fees from the machines will be distributed to a range of local programs. The head of the islands' pension agency had argued for directing the fees to the fund, which is projected to run out of money next March.