The city council in New Bedford, Massachusetts, voted 9-2 to talk with tribes and other developers about gaming.

A bill making its way through the state Legislature authorizes three casinos. The casino on Region C, where New Bedford is located, is reserved for "a federally recognized tribe."

Council members are open to gaming but are worried that a tribal casino could face delays due to legal and political issues. The bill gives a tribe a year to negotiate a Class III compact and allows some time for land to be placed in trust.

"That's wrong if we have commercial entities that are capable of pulling the trigger," councilor Denis Lawrence Jr. said of the potential delay, The New Bedford Standard-Times reported.

Massachusetts is home to the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Both tribes are interested in gaming and want to negotiate a compact.

Get the Story:
Council vents on casino legislation (The New Bedford Standard-Times 9/23)

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