Published: September 7, 2018

Casino, state officials worry about tribe bill in Congress

Legislation making its way through Congress to protect a Massachusetts tribe's sovereign land may threaten Rhode Island's gambling revenues.

The Providence Journal reports Rhode Island officials are concerned the Mashpee Wampanoag's plans for a casino near the Rhode Island state line could result in a $48 million revenue drop at Twin River, which operates a casino in Lincoln as well as another it opened in Tiverton on Sept. 1.

Massachusetts lawmakers have introduced legislation into Congress that would enshrine in federal law a roughly 300-acre reservation set aside for the Cape Cod tribe under the Obama administration.

The tribe broke ground on a resort casino on part of the lands in Taunton, Massachusetts, but was forced to halt construction after a federal judge sided with residents challenging the Obama-era decision.

https://www.theolympian.com/news/business/article217870110.html

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