The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has announced plans to include gaming machines in their upcoming welcome center in Taunton, Massachusetts. According to Mayor Shaunna O'Connell, the facility will feature 10 gaming positions as a preview to the tribe's planned First Light Resort & Casino.

The tribe can operate Class I and Class II gaming on their sovereign territory under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). While Class I gaming includes traditional tribal games, Class II permits bingo-based games, including electronic versions, played for money.

This development comes after a lengthy legal battle over the tribe's 321 acres of land, which was finally settled in February 2023 when a federal judge in Boston confirmed its sovereign status. The land determination had previously shifted through various administrative changes, from Obama to Trump to Biden administrations.

The welcome center represents a scaled-down version of the tribe's original $1 billion casino project, which stalled after their partner, Genting Group, withdrew from the development. The facility will showcase tribal history and preview the First Light project plans.

The tribe plans to present detailed welcome center blueprints to the Taunton City Council in early 2024. Currently, they are cleaning up the site and addressing $2.35 million in outstanding back taxes owed to the city since Genting's departure.

Despite receiving federal recognition only in 2007, the Mashpee people trace their heritage back to the first Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims. The welcome center project marks a significant step in their ongoing efforts to achieve economic self-sufficiency through gaming operations.

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