Cape & Islands News

Revere welcomes a Wampanoag Casino

Revere official moves to change bylaws to allow Class III Casino
A welcome mat in Revere for  Cape Cod's Indian tribe

A story in today's Gambling Magazine describes a Revere City Councilor's move in that north of Boston town to grease the skids for Mashpee's Wampanoags to have a future casino in that North Shore oceanfront city,

In anticipation of the Mashpee Wampanoags gaining full federal recognition, (City Councilor George) Rotondo presented a request at Monday's City Council meeting to amend Revere's land-use ordinance to allow construction of a Class III casino gaming and entertainment complex in the city. He hopes this could facilitate the development of a casino at one of the local racetracks, Suffolk Downs (top) or Wonderland (bottom).

The story also mentions what is currently allowed in the state;

Under current state law, the tribe would be allowed to seek land to establish a bingo-style casino, because bingo is legal in Massachusetts. Special state approval would be needed to build a full-scale Class III casino, like Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. 

The story goes on to remind readers that although the tribe won preliminary Federal recognition last month, it must now wait another year to allow comments before final approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington DC;

If the federal recognition stands, the tribe would gain sovereignty and the state would be required to negotiate a compact with the tribe involving gambling rights.  Under current state law, the tribe would be allowed to seek land to establish a bingo-style casino, because bingo is legal in Massachusetts. Special state approval would be needed to build a full-scale Class III casino, like Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut. 

Read the story in Gambling Magazine here, or  the Globe story here, and comment below.
Read the recent stories about the Wampanoags, the casino and gambling here.