Tribe To Discuss Casino With State Officials

BOSTON-Massachusetts’ only federally recognized tribe will meet with officials from Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration within the next month to discuss the possibility of constructing a destination casino on tribal lands should the state legalize gambling, a tribal representative tells GlobeSt.com. A spokesman for the tribe says officials from the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe of Mashpee plan to discuss the casino proposal with members of a state task force being launched by the Governor to study the pros and cons of gambling.

“If Class 3 gaming is allowed, they feel the best facility would be a casino along the lines of the Mohegan Sun,” the spokesman says, referring to the 300,000-sf gaming venue developed by the Mohegan tribe in Uncasville, CT.

Although a location for the Wampanoag project has not yet been selected, the spokesman says the proposed resort-style casino would be located on tribal lands and would include a mix of restaurants, retail shops and a hotel. The tribe has agreed not to build the project in Cape Cod but will negotiate with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to take land in southwestern Massachusetts for the project.