The Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe appears to be making significant progress in its quest to secure land in Massachusetts to build a Las Vegas-style casino, according to a report from The Boston Globe.
The federal government recently informed the tribe in a letter that a decision in their case is imminent, the report said. The tribe is very optimistic it will be in its favor. The tribe needs the federal government to help them convert 150 acres of land into a reservation, which would allow for the casino to be built under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
The tribe wants to build a $500 million casino in Taunton, which is in the Southeastern part of the state. A 2011 law paved the way for three Las Vegas-style casinos and one slots parlor. Just the slots parlor has opened thus far, and it had a very solid first month in operation.
There are other groups that want to receive the state’s third full-scale casino license over the Mashpee Wampanoag. The tribe would pay the state 17 percent of its gaming revenue.
In January 2014, the federal government indicated it was OK with the revenue-sharing agreement between the state and the tribe. The feds had been concerned about the tribe not getting a good enough deal from Massachusetts.
Casino projects are underway in Springfield and Everett as well. MGM is the firm building a casino in Springfield, while Steve Wynn is trying to work through some legal issues with the city of Boston to put his casino in Everett. The Springfield project has also seen some delays, but they aren’t as significant as the ones experienced by Wynn.
