The Taunton Welcome Center to Feature Gaming Devices,According to the Tribe's Statements
Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Plans Welcome Center and Gaming Facility in Taunton
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has announced plans to build a welcome center in Taunton, Massachusetts, which is set to include gaming machines. The announcement comes after a long legal battle over the tribe's land and their efforts to become economically self-sufficient through a casino.
The tribe's blueprint for the welcome center will be presented to the Taunton City Council early next year, with the design to be submitted to the city administration on September 30, 2025. The center is expected to promote the tribe's history and showcase the First Light project, a larger casino and resort complex that the tribe has been working towards for over a decade.
According to recent revelations, the welcome center will include 10 gaming machines. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is planning to offer limited gaming at the welcome center as a preview to the First Light Resort & Casino. The gaming machines are permitted on the tribe's sovereign territory due to their federal recognition, and are regulated by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), enacted in 1988.
The IGRA defines Class I gaming as social games for minimal value or traditional forms of Indian gaming, and Class II gaming as games of chance like bingo, including electronic bingo, played for money. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe can operate both Class I and II gaming on their sovereign territory.
The Taunton land was initially considered in trust by the Obama administration, but this decision was later reversed by the Trump administration. However, the Biden administration has since changed its mind, and the Taunton land was permanently considered in trust after a federal judge in Boston refused to reconsider the matter in February 2023.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe became federally recognized in 2007, and their previous partner on the $1 billion project, Genting Group, abandoned the development due to the tribe's legal fight over its land. As a result, the tribe currently owes $2.35 million in back taxes to the city, which accumulated after the tribe stopped paying after Genting abandoned the resort scheme.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe's welcome center and gaming facilities are expected to bring economic benefits to the city of Taunton, and the tribe is hopeful that the First Light Resort & Casino will create jobs and stimulate local businesses in the area. The Taunton land was a conflict-ridden determination for the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs, but the tribe is optimistic about the future and looks forward to moving forward with their plans.
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