Artist's rendering of proposed First Light Resort and Casino. Image from Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
The traditional chief of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is worried what gaming might do to his people. Vernon “Silent Drum” Lopez, 92, supports the $500 million First Light Resort and Casino. But he worries about the tribe's debt and wonder if gaming will become corrupting. “If they handle it right, I think it might be good for the tribe,” Lopez, a World War II veteran, told the Associated Press. “Of course, it’s going to take a long time before they can show a profit on it.” The tribe's land-into-trust application remains under consideration at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Get the Story:
Wampanoag Chief Has Mixed Feelings On Casino Bid (AP 7/20) An Opinion:
Joan Vennochi: Casinos are Massachusetts’ future — or region’s past? (The Boston Globe 7/20)
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