Narragansett casino would be state-tribal partnership

Thursday, February 10, 2005  

The Narragansett Tribe would partner with the state of Rhode Island under new casino legislation announced on Wednesday.

The revised bill seeks to address constitutional problems that kept the tribe's casino off the ballot last year. It asks, "Shall the state operate a casino gambling facility in the town of West Warwick?"

If approved, the casino would be operated by the tribe under a 20-year "master service contract" with the state. The tribe's stake in the deal is still being determined.

The tribe still plans to work with Harrah's Entertainment to build the $600-million casino with 115,000-square-feet of gaming space, 3,000 slot machines, 100 table games and a 500-room hotel. They will pay the state a one-time $100 million license fee for the casino and share $127 million in revenues.

Get the Story:
Casino bill back for another try (The Providence Journal 2/10)
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New referendum proposal renews casino drive (The Providence Journal 2/10)
Backers unveil new bid to put casino vote on ballot (Journal Register News Service 2/10)
Tribe To Try Again For R.I. Casino (The New London Day 2/10)
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