Opinion: Rolling the dice in Massachusetts

Friday, September 28, 2007  

"Gov. Deval Patrick ended months of speculation last week when he announced plans to bring casino gambling to Massachusetts

I, for one, believe the governor made the right decision.

Whether you agree with casino gambling or not, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has already forced our hand.

They are on a quest to open a casino in Middleborough with the federal government’s approval. If they pursue this option, the Wampanoags could soon have a casino in Massachusetts and the state would get no revenue from it.

As a federally-recognized tribe, the Wampanoags are guaranteed the right to operate casino gambling on reservation land. However, the federal approval process can take anywhere from 18 months to five years. Patrick hopes to convince the tribe to bid for one of the state’s three licenses instead. Not only would the tribe benefit from a faster approval process, but the state would also have more leverage to share in the new revenues generated by the casino."

Get the Story:
State Sen. Richard Tisei: Governor rolls dice on casino gambling (GateHouse News Service 9/28)