The Board of Selectmen of the town of Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, have again requested details from the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah (Gay Head) on the Class II casino they say they are going to build on the reservation next to the town.
The board sent the letter January 8 and requested an answer by January 15. The request was sent to tribal Chairman Cheryl Andrews-Maltais. The letter requested details on the bingo hall on land that the tribe acquired for $1.15 million in 2014 and which was later put into trust, making it reservation land.
The tribe has said it will use a 10,000 square foot Sprung structure, a tent-like structure that can be erected and inflated within weeks. It will accommodate about 250 slots.
The temporary casino will be serviced by food trucks.
That much the town knows. What it would like to know are details on parking, hours of operation, locations of restrooms and how intense the usage is estimated to be.
The letter telegraphs one of the council’s major concerns when it says, “It is also our understanding that you do not intend to seek any permits from the town, other than a beer and wine license, or from the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.” This could create a problem for the town if it needs to answer public safety calls at the casino, say selectmen. The council also asks for another face-to-face meeting with the tribe.
In early 2018 the tribe won a federal lawsuit that ended all challenges to its right to operate a casino. The end was signaled by the refusal of the U.S. Supreme Court to hear an appeal to an earlier decision.
The tribe says it has partnered with Global Gaming Solutions, the gaming development arm of the Chickasaw Nation.
