Residents of Middleboro, Massachusetts, are debating the merits of a tribal casino.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has purchased land in the town for potential development. No final decisions have been made about the project but some residents feel the matter is out of their hands regardless how they feel about it.

"Some people feel like we are having a casino shoved down our throats, no matter what people in town might want," Drew McKenna, a local business owner, told The Cape Cod Times.

As a newly recognized tribe, the Mashpee qualify for an exception in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that allows them to create a reservation and open a casino on it. The tribe could immediately open a Class II facility.

Class III gaming such as slot machines and table games are not legal but the Legislature is considering proposals to legalize more gaming. Even if that happens, the tribe has to negotiate a Class III compact.

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Middleboro residents torn over casino (The Cape Cod TImes 5/14)