Artist's rendering of proposed First Light Resort and Casino. Image from Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe
As expected, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts won the first vote on its Class III gaming compact. The state House voted 115-38 in favor of the deal. The Senate will now take up the compact and could approve it as early as today. “We thank the members of the House for supporting this revised compact, which brings us another step closer to breaking ground on Project First Light,” Chairman Cedric Cromwell said in a press release. “We believe this agreement keeps our world-class destination resort casino on track, ultimately providing thousands of jobs for southeastern Massachusetts and billions in new revenue for the Commonwealth.” If the deal gains final approval in the state, it can be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for review. The agency rejected the first version of the compact due to concerns about revenue sharing. The new agreement appears to address the issue by lowering the rate, and even outright eliminating it, due to non-Indian competition in southeastern Massachusetts, where the tribe's casino would be located. Get the Story:
House OKs Mashpee gaming deal (The Cape Cod Times 10/10)
House approves tribal compact for Taunton casino (The Taunton Gazette 10/10)
Bi-partisan support in House OKs compact (State House News Service 10/10)
House OKs gov’s casino pact with Wampanoag (The Boston Herald 10/10)
Legislators approve compact for Wampanoag casino in Taunton (The Boston Business Journal 10/10) Related Stories:
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe casino deal expected to win vote (10/9)
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