The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has been trying to build its casino in Massachusetts for years. And earlier this month, its people finally received good news for the future of the project. As Cedric Cromwell, the current Tribal Council Chairman, stated, the court ruling concerning the Cowlitz tribe “gives hope” to all other tribes in the country.
According to the U.S. District Court’s decision from December 12, federal government is allowed to take land into trust for Indian tribes that were governed by the United States back in 1934. Those, however, do not need to have been recognized by the country’s authorities.
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe was federally recognized in 2007. Soon after this, it proposed its $500-million project for the construction of a casino in an industrial area in Taunton.
The tribe has filed an application to the so-called Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) so as to claim 150 acres of land in Taunton and 170 acres in the Town of Mashpee on Cape Cod as its reservation.
A spokeswoman for the BIA stated that the agency is currently enquiring into the application, which was originally submitted back in 2012. However, she shared she could not say with a degree of certainty when a decision will be announced.
Alan Meister, an economist who is well-acquainted with Indian matters, commented that he was not particularly sure as to whether the Mashpee Tribe would get the green light for its casino. Yet, he pointed out that the Obama Cabinet has approved a bit more land in trust as well as tribal gaming applications than any other previous administration.
Clyde Barrow, a university professor and a gambling expert, shared that authorities’ decision should highly depend on whether the tribe has historical and contemporary relations to Taunton and whether it was under federal jurisdiction before 1934 when the so-called Indian Reorganization Act came into effect.
The future of the Mashpee casino is of great importance to the gambling industry in the region.
As it was previously announced, Massachusetts regulators awarded license to a slot parlor in Plainville. What is more, they are planning to allow the launch of a resort casino in the region. The process, however, is being delayed, due to the fact that the tribe does not have firm plans yet.
Generally speaking, a tribal casino that is situated within a federal reservation does not require approval by the state. It was reported that the Mashpee tribe has reached an agreement with local regulators on the portion of gaming revenue that it will be giving to both the city and the state.
State authorities have allowed Wynn Resorts and MGM Resorts International to build their casinos in Massachusetts. The construction of the two venues is expected to start sometime in 2015.
