Until this morning, I would have sworn that the newspaper columns about the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s pursuit of a gambling license were written by the same people who produce 99.9% of the technical books and articles out there (my favorite author Jesse Liberty being the most distinguished exception to that rule).
In other words, the articles have been confusing, contradictory and abominably written.
Finally, though, the Boston Herald’s Casey Ross laid it all down in clear, understandable English.
Thank you, Mr. Ross.
Here are the facts:
There are three proposals on the table.
First, the tribe can bid for a license under the governor’s three-casino plan. The Legislature would have to approve this.
Second: the tribe is pursuing a separate agreement with the governor to allow “unlimited casino gaming”, i.e., slots and gaming tables, at the Middleboro site, in exchange for labor and environmental concessions, revenue sharing with the state, and payment for infrastructure upgrades and other costs. The Legislature would have to approve this agreement.
Finally, the tribe can seek approval from the Dept. of the Interior to put the Middleboro casino site in federal trust, a process that could take a year or more. According to Mr. Ross’s article, this would be a “Class II gaming facility with modified slot machines and limited table games”. In this case, though, the tribe wouldn’t need the Mass. legislature’s approval, and they wouldn’t have to pay for infrastructure upgrades, share revenue with the state, etc.
Got it?