"Gov. Deval Patrick and the state's two most powerful lawmakers — Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray — might finally have managed to produce a casino gambling bill all three could live with.

And they had to close the doors and shut out the public and the press just to get it done.

But that doesn't mean there's harmony elsewhere because, despite the governor's pledge last year to oppose any gambling deal that would give any developer a no-bid license, that is what Patrick agreed to in closed-door meetings in 2011.

While western and northern Massachusetts get to start clean in seeking the best option for casinos there, Southeastern Massachusetts will operate with a big handicap: a pledge to allow Indian tribes a year to work out their own deals with partners of their own choosing. And that means the interests of the region as a whole and of everyone who lives here come after the financial interests of the tribes."

Get the Story:
Our View: Cards stacked against Southeastern Massachusetts (South Coast Today 8/28)

More Opinions:
Adrian Walker: Tribe close to jackpot (The Boston Globe 8/27)
OUR OPINION: Yes to the casino bill, with some changes (GateHouse News Service 8/29)

Related Stories:
Gaming interests oppose tribal provision in Massachusetts bill (8/26)
Massachusetts gaming bill provides for just one tribal compact (8/25)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe still looking to find land for a casino (8/24)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe praises Massachusetts gaming bill (8/23)