Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe scales back casino

Thursday, March 20, 2008  

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is scaling back plans for its first casino.

Preliminary plans for the casino in the town of Middleboro show the casino and adjoining hotel will not be as tall as originally envisioned. The casino would be three or four stories and the hotel would be 15 to 18 stories.

The casino itself will sit on 400-foot by 600-foot lot, according to The Brockton Enterprise. If that figure holds, the casino would be about a half-acre in size.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs will hold the first public hearing on the casino plan next Tuesday. The tribe is seeking to have land in Middleboro and in the town of Mashpee placed in trust.

If the land is placed in trust, the tribe can open a Class II facility. Full-scale Class III gaming isn't legal in Massachusetts and Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is conceding defeat on his legislation to authorize commercial casinos.

Get the Story:
Tribe unveils design of the proposed Middleboro resort casino (The Brockton Enterprise 3/20)
Patrick losing casino battle (The Cape Cod Times 3/20)
Area lawmakers lobbied hard for casino proposal (The New Bedford Standard-Times 3/20)