The Bureau of Indian Affairs is warning the Mashpee Wampanoag
Tribe and the state of Massachusetts not to violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
The tribe and the state negotiated a Class III gaming compact includes provisions affecting Class II gaming, Assistant Secretary Kevin Washburn said. But rather than reject the deal, Washburn urged the two parties to stick to Class III issues.
"We caution the parties that, in implementing the compact, they should avoid applying its provisions in a manner that does not directly relate to the operation of Class III gaming activities, and thus avoid any potential violation of [IGRA] regarding the limited scope of tribal-state gaming compacts," Washburn said in a letter that was quoted by The Cape Cod Times.
Washburn allowed the compact to go into effect under a provision in IGRA that has been used in similar situations with other tribes.
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