Federal gov’t to take land for Mashpee Wampanoags, Taunton casino possible

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR has agreed to take 321 acres of land in Massachusetts into trust for the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe, which could lead to a resort casino in Taunton.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR has confirmed the status of the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe’s Reservation. The tribe has long sought to build a resort casino in Taunton.

TAUNTON – The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe announced Friday it has received approval from the federal government to re-establish its sovereign lands in Taunton and Mashpee, a decision that will allow the tribe to proceed with construction of a resort casino.
The decision of the U.S. Department of Interior will take 321 acres of tribal land into trust on behalf of the Mashpee Wampanoag. The department will transfer 151 acres within the city of Taunton and 170 acres of land in Mashpee, on Cape Cod, into federal trust to benefit the tribe, according to a news release.
The casino sought by the tribe could be the fourth in Massachusetts to be constructed over the next several years. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, set up under the state’s expanded gaming law, has said it will authorize three resort casinos in the Bay State. But the tribe has its own authority, under federal law, to rebuild its land base for economic development opportunities, according to the release.
A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission could not be reached Friday.
Development of gaming institutions in Massachusetts will impact Rhode Island state revenue, according to economists, as patrons are expected to patronize the Bay State gaming facilities in stead of those in the Ocean state.
In August, new gaming at Plainridge Park Casino, in Plainville, Mass., generated $15.2 million in gross gaming revenue, the Gaming Commission reported, including $7.4 million in taxes and assessments directed to the state of Massachusetts.
Tribal officials plan to hold a news conference Saturday, in Mashpee, to discuss the federal decision.
“While some outside the Tribe will focus only on our quest to build a destination resort casino in Taunton in accordance with the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, for us this goes far beyond economic development,” said Cedric Cromwell, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council chairman, in a statement. “This is about controlling our own destiny and preserving our ancient culture.”
The Bureau of Indian Affairs decision on the Land in Trust application is the result of a process that began in 2007.
The tribe has 2,600 citizens, according to the news release.

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