Casino Stalker | Compacts | Regulation

Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe blasts decision on regional casino

Friday, April 19, 2013

Artist's rendering of proposed First Light Resort and Casino. Image from Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe criticized the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Thursday for opening up the southeastern region to non-Indian bidders.

H.3702, the Massachusetts Expanded Gaming Act, reserves the southeastern casino for "a federally recognized tribe." The commission, however, decided not to wait for approval of the tribe's land-into-trust application and its Class III gaming compact.

"It seems to me that amongst these undesirable options, the tribe has the least to lose of all the invested parties by us going forward the way we're going forward," commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said, The Cape Cod Times reported. "The tribe has the opportunity to win. If the tribe does what the tribe says it is able to do, it has by far the best chance at getting what it wants."

The decision means Massachusetts might get four casino resorts instead of the three envisioned by the Expanded Gaming Act. It also means more competition for the Mashpees, whose plan calls for a $500 million casino in the city of Taunton.

"The Gaming Commission's decision today to pave the way for a fourth casino in the state and two in Southeastern Massachusetts not only undermines the Governor and legislature but also jeopardizes projects in every region," Chairman Cedric Cromwell said in a statement.

The tribe's land-into-trust application is pending at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn has promised a decision this spring.

The tribe's Class III gaming compact has not been submitted to the BIA because it hasn't been ratified by state lawmakers. The deal's revenue sharing provisions become void if the tribe loses regional exclusivity.

Cromwell's entire statement is quoted below:

The Gaming Commission's decision today to pave the way for a fourth casino in the state and two in Southeastern Massachusetts not only undermines the Governor and legislature but also jeopardizes projects in every region.
At a time when we need to create thousands of jobs in every corner of the state and put people back to work, this is a major step backwards.
Over the last 400 years, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has experienced a long succession of broken promises by the government, from the loss of our land, our personal freedom, and our aboriginal rights, to name just a few. We believe, however, that we have found trusted partners in Governor Patrick and the legislature, as shown in their decision to work with us to ensure hundreds of millions of dollars for Massachusetts while respecting our rights as a federally recognized tribe. Despite the Commission's misguided decision, we will continue to move forward in partnership with the Governor and the legislature to build our destination resort casino in Taunton.