Middleborough, frequently written as Middleboro, is at the centre of a plan by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe for a casino. On Monday the state Governor named Southeastern Massachusetts as one of three areas for a proposed casino resort, along with Western Massachusetts and metropolitan Boston. Middleborough is in Southeastern Massachusetts in Plymouth County and is the second largest municipality in the state.

This week the Mashpee Wampanoag have paid the town, as previously agreed, US$250,000 as an initial payment for underwriting the first phase of casino planning. The tribe has said it has yet to decide whether to bid for a commercial licence, as suggested by Governor Patrick, instead of seeking a tribal casino on land in trust. If it won a commercial licence for Southeastern Massachusetts it would eliminate possible competition from another casino in the region, but would have to pay taxes from which tribal casinos are exempt.

In the long-term an Indian casino would appear to be more profitable for the tribe. A contract between Middleborough and the tribe guarantees a minimum US$7 million payment plus a percentage of hotel revenue. At present there is no need for any decision between commercial casino and tribal to be made in haste – Governor Patrick still has to persuade the Massachusetts legislature to back his commercial casino proposal. (E-09.20.07)

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