Mass. gaming commission weighs opening SE region
AP / March 21, 2013
FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — The state gaming commission will meet in Fall River as it considers whether to extend an Indian tribe’s exclusive right to develop a casino in southeastern Massachusetts.
The commission will hear from both sides Thursday about opening the region to commercial bidders.
The state’s 2011 expanded gambling law created one casino license each for three geographic areas. It gave preference in the southeastern region to a federally-recognized Indian tribe. But it allowed the commission to consider other bidders if the tribe’s plans looked unworkable.
The Mashpee Wampanoag are planning a $600 million resort casino in Taunton and on Wednesday announced a revenue-sharing compact with the state. They hope to break ground within a year.
But the federal government must first take the Taunton land into trust and opponents say that could take years.
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