... the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe of Massachusetts which just this past week got federal recognition as an official tribe. With that recognition it paves the way for the Indians to start the work on planning a casino.
But a wrinkle was thrown in to the Tribe building the State’s only mega resort in the state as the Massachusetts Treasurer Tim Cahill is floating a plan for the state to get into the gaming business to ensure it gets a bigger piece of the pie.
Cahill's plan would involve starting a bidding process to allow developers to bid on licenses to build a casino resort featuring amenities such as hotels, golf courses, spas, restaurants and retail. Its being widely reported that the licenses would cost about $150 million a pop and share a good chunk of the profits with the state.
Addressing the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Cahill said a mega resort would be a destination unto itself, and could pave the way to help poorer Massachusetts communities increase the amount of money they’d have to spend locally.
‘‘There are no doubt costs associated with the introduction of resort destination casinos in Massachusetts,’’ Cahill said. ‘‘But such costs can be mitigated when compared to the benefits destination casinos have been known to provide, benefits that will offer long-lasting fiscal relief. ...There is little doubt that destination casinos in Massachusetts could potentially draw customers from nearly every gaming market in the nation except Las Vegas.’’
"I see it in that range of $500 million to $1 billion," Cahill said last week after a speech. "We need to get out in front of this."
In anticipation of federal recognition, the Mashpee Wampanoags purchased 350 acres of land in Middleborough. The site, about 40 miles southeast of Boston could rake in as much as $700 million a year from a facility they say would in include a 1,500 room luxury hotel, a full service casino and a host of amenities, including convention space.
Mashpee Tribal Chairman Glenn Marshall is itching to get a massive destination casino resort open, Mashpee spokesman Scott Ferson said.
"Glenn and the tribe have declared that they look to Mohegan Sun as a model in terms of quality and the type of resort destination they want to operate," he said. "I can't imagine that comes as a surprise to either tribe."
It makes fiscal sense for the state to get into the casino business. According to the 2007 New England Casino Gaming Update researched by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis (CFPA), many locals are going to Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods; nearby Connecticut’s mega resorts.
The fourth annual study, which tracks spending patterns at New England’s five casino style venues, found in 2006 Massachusetts residents spent nearly $876 million in Connecticut at Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun Casino; $180 million in Rhode Island at Lincoln Park and Newport Grand; and $ 1.4 million in Maine at Hollywood Slots in Bangor (which has been open for 16 months).
Additionally, Massachusetts residents comprise approximately 35% of Foxwoods patrons and 21% of Mohegan Sun patrons. Once again, Bay Staters represent Foxwoods’ largest customer base, even exceeding Connecticut residents’ patronage of their home-state casino.
"We need to get out in front of this," he said. Privately run casinos would deliver more revenue to the state than Indian casinos, where the tribes are free to keep more of the money they take in,’ Cahill said.
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