Mashpee Wampanoag tribe considers own Indian casino in Boston
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe believes it may be able to jump into the game earlier in Boston with its own Indian casino. Gov. Deval Patrick has targeted 2012 as the opening date for three proposed commercial casinos in Massachusetts stating that an Indian casino will have preference for get one of the spots for one of the three casinos.
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe would have to decide if it wants to bid for a state commercial casino license and pay full state taxation or pursue an Indian casino on land in trust. The tribe says that it could take as little as 18 months to acquire more than 500 acres in Middleboro placed in federal trust for a casino.
The Patrick administration is urging the tribe to bid for a state license, saying based on its research, it could take the Mashpee Wampanoag as much as five years to get land in trust.
Scott Ferson, a spokesman for the tribal council, was skeptical that the state’s process would be faster than the tribe’s own effort. And if the state Legislature legalizes casinos, the tribe would be allowed to offer the same type of full-scale casino under federal Indian gaming law. Should the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe not bid for a state license, it could open the door to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to grab one of the licenses.
