The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which still hopes to build a $1bn casino resort in Massachusetts, may be forced to wait before it sits down at the negotiating table with state officials after a spokesperson intimated the tribe would first have to successfully apply to the US Department of Interior to create an official reservation before talks over a gaming compact could commence.

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe says it is on track to win federal approval for a reservation in Southeastern Massachusetts on which to build the New England state’s first casino. However, the tribe’s plans will first have to square up to the financial and political realities of the cash-strapped state.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has rejected a push by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe to enter into early compact talks over plans for a proposed, $1bn casino. The rebuff by the governor, ahead of the crucial presidential election this year, could slow the tribe’s drive to win federal approval to create a sovereign reservation for a gambling resort.

The booming Indian casino sector is facing a serious setback in one of its hottest new US markets, with Massachusetts officials raising serious concerns about plans for a tribal gaming resort in the state. Governor Deval Patrick’s opposition comes as federal officials in Washington DC take an increasingly skeptical view of proposals for new Indian casinos.

The long-running debate in Massachusetts over expanded gambling could get reshaped with the reemergence of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe as a credible potential casino developer.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to announce plans as soon as today to sell off licenses to operate three casino resorts across the state.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday unveiled a long-awaited plan to develop three resort casinos across the state under the supervision of an independent commission, and speculation has already begun over the likely buyers of the $150m licenses.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is nearing a landmark decision on whether to endorse casino gambling in the state, an announcement that could come as soon as next week. Gov. Patrick has spent months studying the issue, appointing a panel of top officials in his administration to explore the pros and cons of opening up the Bay State to expanded gambling.

The Bay State’s two federally-recognised Indian nations can no longer call the shots in the state’s gambling debate, despite a recent flurry of tribal casino proposals, industry observers say.

As California's budget crisis drags on, the need for additional revenues continues to fuel debate over the merits of an intra-state online poker network. Meanwhile, a recent federal Court of Appeals ruling could impact revenue sharing agreements between California tribes and the state.