Artist's rendering of proposed First Light Resort and Casino. Image from Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
Only one non-Indian company appears ready to bid on a potential third commercial casino in Massachusetts. H.3702, the Massachusetts Expanded Gaming Act, reserved a casino in the southeastern part of the state for "a federally recognized tribe." The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, however, agreed to solicit non-Indian bids because Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has yet to clear its biggest hurdles for the casino. With a September 30 deadline approaching, it appears K.G. Urban Enterprises will be the only bidder for the casino. The uncertainty over the tribe's proposal might be deterring other interested groups, a gaming law expert said. The tribe has negotiated a Class III gaming compact but the state Legislature has to ratify it. The Bureau of Indian Affairs would still need to approve it. The BIA has yet to issue a decision on the tribe's land-into-trust application, another major hurdle. Get the Story:
Uncertainty over tribe's status deters casino investors (The Cape Cod Times 9/24)
Legal wrangling continues in casino case (The New Bedford Standard-Times 9/24) Related Stories:
Lawmaker questions Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's casino bid (09/12)
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