Massachusetts governor won't discuss compact

Wednesday, February 18, 2009  

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D) won't say whether he will negotiate a Class III gaming compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

Patrick previously said he won't negotiate until the tribe has land in trust. The tribe is waiting for an answer on two land-into-trust applications, including one for a casino in the town of Middleboro.

"I don’t think there’s any incentive for the governor to negotiate," Clyde Barrow, a gambling expert at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth told The Brockton Enterprise.

The Bush administration implemented a policy, without tribal consultation, to reject compacts that refer to land that may or may not be in trust.

Get the Story:
Expert: Governor won’t open talks with tribe on Middleboro casino (The Brockton Enterprise 2/18)