Gam[bl]ing board chief looks to ease concerns
Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, will meet next week with officials from communities surrounding the proposed Mashpee Wampanoag casino in Taunton.
The tribe and Gov. Deval Patrick have until July 31 to negotiate a compact for the $500 million project. Both the tribe and state have reported negotiations are going well and nearing completion.
The deadline was set by the state legislation that authorizes three casinos and a single slot parlor.
The commission has taken an arms-length role in the negotiations but could ultimately decide the tribe's fate. At any point after Aug. 1, the commission can put the Southeastern Massachusetts gaming license out to competitive bid if it determines the tribe has no prospect of getting the Taunton land into federal trust.
At the commission's hearing Monday, Crosby told his fellow commissioners that he agreed to meet with the officials after state Rep. Keiko Orrall, R-Lakeville, reached out to the commission for her constituents.
Crosby said the board will not be able to say much in the way of specific data. "But having said that, we are more than happy to meet with people and hear their concerns," he said.
The meeting is scheduled for 3 to 6 p.m. July 12 at the Lakeville Council on Aging, 1 Dear Crossing, Lakeville, Elaine Driscoll, a spokeswoman for the commission, said in an email.
Orrall has criticized Patrick for ignoring requests for a similar meeting before he agrees to a compact with the tribe.
"I am disappointed that the governor's office is not reaching out to the surrounding communities before finalizing the compact. I'm hopeful that will happen, but time is ticking on," Orrall said Monday.
[Native American Tribes have priority water rights. What will that do to neighbors?]
"We're happy that the commissioner is willing to hear our concerns and this is a first step in helping the state understand the needs of this region."
Mark Forest, a lobbyist for the tribe, also asked to meet with the commission saying he might have suggestions on how the board could support surrounding communities, Crosby said. Though Forest, who works for The Delahunt Group, wasn't mentioned by name during the meeting, Driscoll confirmed afterward that he had made the inquiry.
Forest could not be reached for comment.
No meeting date with Forest was set.
[Surrounding towns have attempted to address their concerns with the Tribe as well. This is too little, too late! There is no money. And no one is listening.]
Commissioner James McHugh acted as chairman because Crosby was absent from the meeting room.
Crosby did participate by conference call and, once again, the meeting was streamed live on the commission's website.
In other business, the commission told Gary Loveman, chief executive officer for Caesar's Entertainment, not to start counting his chips. Loveman boldly told the Boston Globe that he expects to be the lone bidder for a casino license in the Boston region. Caesar's has proposed a $1 billion casino at Suffolk Downs.
"There may be an impression that there may not be much competition in Eastern Mass. and that is a perception that is not in the public interest," Crosby said.
Competition is likely to enhance the job creation and revenue generated by various projects, McHugh said. The commission as a whole issued a statement to that effect after the meeting.
Commissioner Enrique Zuniga floated the idea of accepting bids in the most competitive region first, which so far has been Western Massachusetts, and then allowing developers who don't win the license to bid in the other regions.
No decision was made, but Crosby pointed out the commission is authorized to license up to one casino in three distinct regions. It's not required to issue one per region.
"If we don't have many options to choose from, then somebody, some region runs the risk of not having anything," he said. "For a lot of reasons, it's in everybody's interest I think to have as much competition as possible."
The gaming commission voted unanimously to hire JuriStaff, a national search firm with an office in Boston, to conduct a search for the permanent executive director of the commission.
The company was picked from four firms who submitted applications to conduct the search. Two other firms — New Leadership Group and Isaacson, Miller — were pre-qualified by the commission to conduct other employment searches.
Commissioners are still discussing whether to create a subcommittee to interview candidates, which would fall under the state's Open Meeting Law, or whether to have a single commissioner interview candidates with the search firm to protect the confidentiality of applicants as long as possible.
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