Editorial: Deal with Mashpee Wamapanoag Tribe

Monday, July 16, 2007  

"Massachusetts officials must come to some accommodation with the tribe on the issue of slot machines - because it’s the right thing to do and because it’s the smart thing to do. At the same time officials will be under tremendous pressure to “save” racetracks with an infusion of slot machine cash. That debate is more than a decade old (dating back to when the Aquinnah Wampanoags were still in the casino hunt), and frankly a deal could have been cut back then had some track owners not let greed and old scores get in the way.

But that was then. And while there are a lot of moving parts here, it’s time to do a deal. It may well be that the Wonderland track - with its proximity to the beach - makes more sense for a resort casino. It may be that the Wampanoags will want to stick to a site they have already purchased in Middleborough.

It may also be that there is room for more than one resort casino in the state. A state panel assigned to study the issue is scheduled to report to Gov. Deval Patrick later this month. What is clear is that it’s time this governor gets a deal done."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Gaming in the city: Why on earth not! (The Boston Herald 7/16)