Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe plans phased casino

Wednesday, October 21, 2009  

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts wants to open a casino in phases, cutting back plans for a $1 billion resort in the town of Middleboro.

The tribe wants to start with a gaming hall and add a hotel in a second phase. But plans won't be finalized until the tribe is closer to breaking ground on the project.

"We're still focused on building a resort casino," Chairman Cedric Cromwell told The Cape Cod Times. "We're going to do it in a phased approach."

The tribe's ability to break ground depends on a big issue. Under the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, tribes that weren't "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934 can't follow the land-into-trust process.

The tribe didn't gain recognition until May 2007. Chairman Cromwell plans to discuss the issue with President Barack Obama during the White House Tribal Nations Conference on November 5.

Get the Story:
Tribe downsizes casino plan (The Cape Cod Times 10/21)
Wampanoag tribe cuts size of casino project (The Boston Globe 10/21)