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Governor weighs odds of Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe casino

Filed Under: Casino Stalker | NIGC
More on: deval patrick, igra, land claims, massachusetts, wampanoag
   
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) doesn't think Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe has a right to engage in gaming but he wants to talk about it anyway.

Patrick said he tried to contact Chairwoman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais to talk about gaming. But she's been busy with the White House Tribal Nations Conference in Washington, D.C., where she was a presenter to the White House Council on Native American Affairs on Wednesday afternoon.

“I want her to know we want to work with them but we’re going to have to resolve this question, and I think the merits are with us," Patrick told The Boston Herald.

The question is whether the tribe can engage in gaming in light of the Massachusetts Indian Land Claims Settlement Act. The law, which was enacted by Congress in 1987, subjects the tribe to state law.

The National Indian Gaming Commission, however, has determined that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 confirmed the tribe's jurisdiction over its recently acquired lands. That appears to clear the path for a Class II facility on the island of Martha's Vineyard.

The tribe also remains interested in a casino on the mainland. But Patrick refused to entertain the idea and has told the tribe to seek a commercial gaming license under state law.

“All our legal analysis has been that they need a license,” Patrick told the Herald.

Get the Story:
Gov to Wampanoag: Don’t bet on state gambling license (The Boston Herald 11/14)
Martha's Vineyard residents weigh the odds of island casino (The Cape Cod Times 11/14)
Patrick not swayed by federal analysis of Aquinnah casino rights (State House News Service 11/13)
Wampanoag tribe claims feds bless an Aquinnah casino (The Martha's Vineyard Times 11/13)

An Opinion:
Our View: Casino law plays out (South Coast Today 11/14)

Relevant Documents:
Letter to Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe (October 25, 2013) | Press Release: GSB Client Aquinnah Wampanoag to be First to Game in Massachusetts (November 12, 2013)

Related Stories:
Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe faces opposition to casino bid (11/13)

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