Massachusetts governor says no to tribal casino talk

Governor Deval Patrick had his casino gambling proposal shot down by the legislature in Massachusetts shortly after he took office. He vowed that he would continue his fight even after the defeat of the proposal.

This week, a door seemingly opened up to Patrick. One that would have allowed him to bring the casino gambling he desired to the state. The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe sent a formal letter to the governor asking to open discussions about building a casino.

On Friday, that request was denied by the Patrick administration. They sited the fact that the tribe has not yet had the land for the casino put into trust by the Federal government. „Until we know the extent to which the Bureau of Indian Affairs approves the Tribe’s land-in-trust application, and the Tribe’s jurisdiction over the land located in Middleborough is established, any agreements we might reach would be purely hypothetical,“ wrote Ben Clements, Governor Deval Patrick’s Chief Legal Council.

While the formal meetings will not yet take place, Clements told the tribe that they should still have informal meetings and discussions. Once the land is put into trust, there is a strong chance the formal talks will begin.

Governor Patrick is in favor of bringing casino gambling to Massachusetts. He feels it is a viable way to help with the state budget. Other states have prospered from building casinos. Revenue generated from the casinos have helped with education in various states. The revenue also has helped balance budgets and make necessary improvements with the states.