The tribe has released an environmental report showing the proposed casino would generate nearly $512 million in annual revenue.
This file image of an artist's rendering released by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe depicts a resort casino that the tribe has proposed be built in Taunton. The plan calls for a 150,000 square foot casino, three hotels, retail stores and a family-oriented water park. The state and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe have reached a tentative agreement on a compact for a resort casino in Taunton. (AP Photo/Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, File)BOSTON — The Massachusetts Legislature has approved a casino compact signed by Gov. Deval Patrick and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe.
The compact, which promises the state 21.5 percent of gaming revenues if the tribe succeeds in developing a resort casino in Taunton, now heads to Patrick's desk.
The Senate voted 27-to-9 on Thursday in favor of the compact approved last week by the House, and each chamber has given its final procedural approval.
Some southeastern Massachusetts lawmakers had pushed for a compact deadline by which the tribe must earn federal approval to place the land into trust, saying the region could fall behind in casino development if the process drags on too long.
The tribe has released an environmental report showing the proposed casino would generate nearly $512 million in annual revenue.