Vote scheduled on Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe casino compact

The Massachusetts Senate is scheduled to vote today on a Class III gaming compact for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

The House already approved the compact. Once the Senate takes action, the deal can be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for review.

The agreement calls on the state to help the tribe settle its land claims. Non-gaming related provisions in compacts are generally not enforceable under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Tribal-state compacts may include "subjects that are directly related to the operation of gaming activities," according to IGRA.

The tribe will meet with the town of Mashpee tomorrow to discuss the provision, The Cape Cod Times reported. The tribe's headquarters are in Mashpee.

Get the Story:
Mashpee land deal worries town (The Cape Cod Times 7/26)
Montigny intended to stall casino vote again, but Senate beat him to it (The New Bedford Standard-Times 7/26)

Related Stories
Vote on Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Class III compact delayed (7/25)