Will Tribe's incompetence snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?

Mashpees may snatch defeat from the jaws of victory
12/19/12 · 7:15 am :: posted by CCToday

TODAY's quote: “The tribe requested 90 days... Well, they requested a lot more than that.”
- Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby.

 

Wampanoag Tribe gets three more months to get their schict together

Will Tribe's incompetence snatch defeat from the jaws of victory?
By Walter Brooks

The proposed Wampanoag Tribe casino resort includes three hotels, a water park and several upscale shops and restaurants. Architect's rendering courtesy of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.The Massachusetts Gaming Commision gave the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe three more months to get their schict together.

It is another strange twist when the state gaming commission voted unanimously yesterday to delay opening Southeastern Massachusetts district, known as Region C, to commercial casino developers until after March 15.

If the tribe can't qualify by that date, the Southeastern District door flies open for commercial applicants.

As most readers know, the Wampanoag Tribe of Mashpee was given the exclusive right to one of the three casinos purposed for the Bay State.

The commission seems to be tire of waiting for the tribe's apparent inability to either get an approved agreement for splitting the money with the state from the BIA or the federal agency's approval of the "tribal land" the Mashpee have bought in Taunton.

Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said after yesterday's meeting with tribal leaders, "Their preferred position would be that we simply do nothing on a commercial license for however long it takes for them to meet the various hurdles they have to get over."

Wampanoag Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell released the following statement regarding the commission's decision:

"Today the Gaming Commission also acknowledged the risks and complications of adopting a back up plan. However, we still contend that having one is not really necessary since we are so much further along than any other project in the state. They know that Governor Patrick is working with us to get federal approval of our land in trust application and we are working with him on a revised compact. They also acknowledged that even without a compact, our tribe has the federal right to conduct gaming once our land is taken into trust. That said, we continue to strongly prefer to work together with the Commonwealth to bring a first class destination resort casino to Taunton."

The November 2011 gaming law explicitly calls for up to three full casino licenses in the state, one for each of three regions. Two of the districts are open to bids from non-Indian commercial bidders, and until now, only the Mashpee tribe could be awarded the southeastern district.

All three casinos must open about the same time

But the gaming commission is apparently thinking that the tribe may yet "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" by never getting the BIA approvals forcing the third district to be offered to non-Indian bidders after the other two were awarded.

For all of the state's new casinos to have an equal shot at the state's gamblers they all must open about the same time.

Read our previous story on this same subject here.
Read today's report in the Wareham Courier here.