Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe faces doubts over gaming plan

Monday, March 12, 2012  

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe has jumped into the casino game in Massachusetts but legal issues could derail its plans.

The tribe gained federal recognition through an act of Congress. The law subjects the reservation to state law, which some observers say prohibits the tribe from opening a casino.

Even if the tribe were to overcome that hurdle, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar poses a problem. The ruling restricts the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934.

The Aquinnah gained federal recognition in 1987. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, whose leaders are also seeking a casino, gained recognition in 2007.

Get the Story:
Casino bid may be bound for court (The Boston Globe 3/12)
Aquinnah tribe asks Lakeville to vote on casino plan (GateHouse News Service 3/12)
Sources: Aquinnah tribe has land option on 230-acre Fall River site (The Fall River Herald News 3/12)

Also Today:
Talks between town and Cape tribe heat up (The Cape Cod Times 3/12)
Mashpee Wampanoag tribe calls Middleboro actions ‘improper’ (The Taunton Daily Gazette 3/10)

Related Stories:
Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe eyes two more sites for a casino (3/8)