The Aquinnah
Wampanoag Tribe is seeking investors for a $10 million Class II gaming facility.
The tribe plans to build the casino on its reservation on the island of Martha's Vineyard.
Details haven't been announced but one official said it will be a modest facility.
"Gaming has never been a panacea; however, it's a catalyst," Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, chairwoman of tribe's gaming commission, told the Associated Press. "You need money to make money."
Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is suing the tribe in hopes of stopping the project.
The state claims the tribe gave up its gaming rights under the Massachusetts
Indian Land Claims Settlement Act of 1987.
In 2004, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the law subjects the tribe to state
jurisdiction. But the lawsuit is being heard in federal court so there could
be a different outcome.
Get the Story:
Tribal casino proposal roils Martha's Vineyard, vacation destination for the well-heeled
(AP 8/25)
Related Stories:
Judge allows
parties in Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe casino case (08/07)