The
Mashantucket Pequot
Tribal Nation of Connecticut is jumping back into the Massachusetts commercial casino race.
The tribe will announce plans today for a $750 million casino in Fall River, in the southeastern part of the state. A site hasn't been chosen but city's mayor is embracing the project as a means to boost the economy.
"Tomorrow in partnership with @FoxwoodsCT we will announce a $750 million casino project creating 3-5k jobs," Mayor Will Flanagan said on
Twitter.
The announcement will put the Pequots at odds with the
Mashpee Wampanoag
Tribe, whose $500 million
First
Light Resort and Casino was given a first shot at the region.
H.3702,
the Massachusetts Expanded Gaming Act, reserved the area's casino for a "federally recognized tribe."
But with the Mashpee project facing uncertainty at the federal level, the
Massachusetts Gaming
Commission opened the region to non-Indian bidders.
Only one firm,
K.G. Urban Enterprises, filed an application.
The Pequots previously tried for a commercial casino in the eastern region of the state. But voters in the town of Milford rejected the project in a referendum last November.
Get the Story:
Foxwoods eyes Fall River for casino resort
(NBC 10 News 1/27)
Foxwoods eyes new casino proposal in Massachusetts
(The Norwich Bulletin 1/27)
Flanagan: Deal between Fall River, Foxwoods to be announced Tuesday
(The Taunton Daily Gazette 1/28)
Foxwoods to pitch new casino proposal in Fall River
(The Cape Cod Times 1/28)
Foxwoods eyes bid with Fall River site
(The Boston Herald 1/28)
Foxwoods to officially announce interest in Fall River, Mass., for casino
(The New London Day 1/28)
Related Stories
BIA took issue
with Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe compact (01/14)
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