The Mashpee Wampanoag would pay the state 17 percent of gambling revenue from a Taunton tribal casino under a new agreement between the tribe and Governor Deval Patrick, a reduction from the state’s earlier demand of 21.5 percent of revenue, which the federal government rejected as too much.
The new agreement, which was approved by the Mashpee tribal council late Tuesday, comes at a critical moment for the tribe, as the state Gambling Commission on Thursday begins debate on ending — or extending — a controversial ban on commercial casinos in Southeastern Massachusetts, a gambling market the Mashpee hope to capture from Taunton.
Comments
Okay, a question: If Patrick and the Wampanoags sign a compact, won't that make three Indian tribes vying for gambling saloon licenses in Massachusetts? Mohegans out there in Palmer, Mashantucket Pequots in Milford and now, maybe, the Wampanoag. The query that comes to mind is, what sort of influence will these purportedly independent national groups have on the government of this state, assuming a reasonable group of people take control of it in the near future?