Column: Gaming on the table in Massachusetts

Thursday, February 22, 2007  

"Bet on it. Casino gambling is on the table in Massachusetts.

The Wampanoag Indians, among others connected to the gaming industry, are talking to Doug Rubin, one of Governor Deval Patrick's top campaign advisers, about representing their interests.

Rubin, who is in the process of setting up his own consulting business, said he has not 'finalized anything' with any gambling client. If he signed on with one, he said, it would be as a communications strategist, not as a lobbyist. "I'm not lobbying. . . . That's a bright line," Rubin said. 'When I talk to people, I tell them, if they are looking to hire me for direct access, we shouldn't be having this meeting.'

The pressure for new sources of state revenue comes as the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe fulfilled its quest to win recognition as a sovereign Native American nation. This historic designation sets the tribe down a path that could lead to a casino -- if the state legalizes casino gambling.

Without that change, the tribe would be limited by current law, which permits only bingo, the lottery, and table games such as poker and blackjack within strict limits. According to published reports, the tribe is searching for property on which to build a resort-style casino within 50 miles of land it owns in Mashpee.

Meanwhile, Patrick's first state budget is due Wednesday. One draft submitted for his consideration included hypothetical revenue from gambling. 'We put gaming revenue on the table, ' said Leslie A. Kirwan, the secretary of administration and finance. She said Patrick took it off the table for the fiscal 2008 budget debate. But it's not off forever."

Get the Story:
Joan Vennochi: Gambling on a roll of the dice (The Boston Globe 2/22)