"The clock is ticking on the eight-month head start granted the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to complete a plan for a casino in southeastern Massachusetts. Under the new casino law, if the tribe can acquire land and reach an agreement with the state by the end of July, and the Gaming Commission determines the tribe has clear sailing toward converting that land into a reservation, it automatically wins a casino license. If not, the commission can open up the license to other bidders.

For the Mashpee Wampanoag, a resort casino promises to be an economic boon after centuries of poverty. But there are signs the tribe may not be able to meet all the state’s requirements by this summer, mostly for reasons outside its control.

If that happens, the state and the commission should be prepared to give their blessing to an agreement with the tribe anyway. It’s not just for the tribe’s sake - it’s also in the state’s long-term interests to work cooperatively with the Mashpee Wampanaog to ensure that any tribal casinos stay within the state’s gambling framework."

Get the Story:
Editorial: State should be flexible on Mashpee Wampanoag casino plans (The Boston Globe 2/7)

Also Today:
Tribe confident it will meet all deadlines (The New Bedford Standard-Times 2/5)

Related Stories:
Massachusetts defends tribal provisions in new gaming law (2/1)
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe still reviewing sites for casino (1/31)
Magazine: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe faces casino deadline (1/27)