Massachusetts gaming legislation approaches Saturday deadline

Wednesday, July 28, 2010  

Lawmakers in Massachusetts are facing a Saturday deadline to pass a bill that will legalize casino-style gaming in the state.

The House and the Senate have so far failed to reach an agreement on the major points of the bill. One lawmaker who is in charge of the bill for the Senate said failing to act will only help the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

“We want the state to be in a strong position when the Wampanoags get their land,” Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D) told The Boston Herald. The Senate version attempts to dictate the terms of a tribal-state gaming compact.

The tribe plans a casino on 300 acres in the city of Fall River.

Get the Story:
Casino deal down to wire (The Cape Cod Times 7/28)
Stalemate over slots (The Boston Herald 7/28)

Relevant Documents:
Secretary Salazar Memo on Gaming Land Applications | Press Release: Interior Details Path Forward on Indian Gaming Policy

Related Stories:
City approves sale of land for Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe casino (7/23)
City will sell land for Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe casino for $21M (7/22)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe adds new site to land-into-trust bid (7/13)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe hopeful on casino land application (6/30)
Salazar tells BIA to continue work on gaming land applications (6/28)