Mayor Invites Suffolk Casino
Sensing an opportunity in the dispute between the newly-recognized Mashpee Wampanoags of Cape Code and the town of Middleborough over demands that the tribe pay for millions of dollars in infrastructure costs if it wants to build a casino, Boston mayor Tom Menino “gamely invited the tribe today to build its gambling complex at the Suffolk Downs racetrack in East Boston” (Boston Globe). The tribe would have to overcome some hurdles to make that happen, including getting around a Department of Interior rule requiring Indian-owned casinos be located within a 50-mile radius of tribal land.
Menino may get his wish for a casino at Suffolk anyway, regardless of whether or not it’s run by the Wampanoags. According to a report in the Boston Herald:
That could be good news for Suffolk — and it would certainly be good news for new owner Richard Fields, casino developer — but bad for Massachusetts dog and harness track owners, long-time proponents of racino-style slots. [Thanks to SS for the Globe link.]
