Casino Stalker | Compacts

Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe plans Class II site on reservation

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe plans to open a Class II facility on its reservation in Massachusetts.

Tribal members voted 35-27 to use an unfinished community center for the casino. Some work has recently occurred on the building, The Martha's Vineyard Times reported.

The tribe is also pursuing a Class III facility off the reservation. But both sites face legal questions due to the tribe's land claim settlement act.

The law places the tribe's reservation on the island of Martha's Vineyard to state criminal and civil jurisdiction. The state says the tribe can't open a casino there due to local prohibitions against gaming.

The state also says the tribe can't pursue a casino elsewhere under the law. The tribe is prepared to go to court to assert its gaming rights.

Get the Story:
Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe approves community center casino (The Martha's Vineyard Times 5/7)
Aquinnah tout casino benefits (The Cape Cod Times 5/8)
Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe meets with Freetown residents, officials for forum (The Taunton Daily Gazette 5/8)
Aquinnah selects casino developer (The Providence Journal 5/8)