Compacts | Legislation

Massachusetts gaming bill authorizes just one tribal casino

Friday, June 4, 2010

A gaming bill introduced in the Massachusetts Senate appears to allow only one tribal gaming facility and appears to define the terms of a Class III gaming compact.

The bill authorizes three casinos, one of which would be set aside for a "qualified tribe." The tribe would have to share gaming revenues with the state, although the amount is not stated in the bill.

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe are pursuing casinos. Both want to build in the southeast part of the state.

But the bill requires the casinos to be in separate regions of the state. So only one tribe would be able to claim the casino in the southeast.

State Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D), who oversaw the bill, told The New Bedford Standard Times that the Aquinnah "agreed to waive any gaming rights" when they agreed to a land claim settlement with the state. A tribal gaming official disagreed.

"We haven't given up our legal rights to anything," Naomi Carney, chairwoman of Aquinnah Gaming Corp., told the paper. "We're still moving forward and I guess we'll just wait and see how everything works out."

Lawmakers in other states, most notably Florida, have set the terms of gaming compacts or have tried to influence the terms of compacts. But no state legislature has outright tried to limit the number of tribal casinos.

The Mohegan Tribe of Connecticut wants to open a casino in the western part of Massachusetts. The tribe would not be affected by the bill because it intends to compete for a commercial license.

Get the Story:
Casino bill curbs competition (The Boston Herald 6/4)
State Senate reveals more gambling bill details (The Boston Globe 6/4)
Senate bill appears to shut door on New Bedford casino (The New Bedford Standard-Times 6/4)
Casino plan faces challenges (The New Bedford Standard-Times 6/3)