The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts is finally seeing some movement on its Class III gaming compact. The Legislature's Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies meets tomorrow to consider the compact. If the deal is approved, it could see a vote in the state House and the Senate. The compact requires the tribe to share 21 percent of revenues with the state. The rate will drop to 17 percent once another casino opens elsewhere in the state and to 15 percent if a non-Indian slot machine parlor opens in southeastern Massachusetts. The tribe won't have to share any revenues if a non-Indian casino opens in the southeastern region. That's a plausible scenario since the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has agreed to accept non-Indian bids for the region. If the compact is approved by the state, it can be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for review. The agency rejected the first agreement due to a high revenue-sharing rate that came without meaningful concessions. Get the Story:
Key vote coming on Wampanoag tribe casino pact (The Cape Cod Times 9/7)
Legislators will vote Tuesday on Mashpee Wampanoag tribal compact (The Taunton Daily Gazette 9/7)
Gaming committee to meet Tuesday on tribe's compact (State House News Service 9/7)
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