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A federal appeals court has reversed a 2015 decision that denied the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe’s effort to open a casino on Martha’s Vineyard.
The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled Monday in favor of the gaming plan the tribe has pursued for decades, the Boston Globe reports. Before the 2015 rejection, the 1,300-member tribe had already begun work on converting a 6,500 SF community center into a casino. The unanimous decision yesterday remarked on the tribe’s progress from its previous bid by reaching numerous intergovernmental agreements and passing ordinances.
While the tribe has yet to release specific gaming plans, it has said in the past a casino with 300 slot machines could bring in close to $5M annually. Residents on Martha’s Vineyard are strongly opposed to the proposal, and former Gov. Deval Patrick sued to halt the casino in 2013. Massachusetts has one slots parlor in Plainville while a Wynn-branded casino is under construction in Everett and an MGM casino is expected to open in Springfield in the summer of 2018.
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