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 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 Gov. Deval Patrick and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe are poised to launch compact negotiations, possibly as early as this summer, over plans for a $1 billion gambling resort. The unexpected move is set to shake up the state’s long-running debate over casino gambling and open the possibility of Indian gaming in a second New England state.

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.

Three Massachusetts casinos could generate between $1.2bn and $1.7bn in their first year of ‘stabilized operations,’ according to a newly released report on the potential gaming market in the New England state. The study, commissioned by Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration, has stirred speculation the Massachusetts governor may be preparing to make another casino proposal next year.

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 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.

An Upstate New York Indian tribe has won a rare victory from the Bush Administration, which has taken a tough line against the expansion of tribal gaming in the US. After a lengthy struggle, the Oneida Indian Nation will be able to convert thousands of acres it owns, including the site of its centerpiece casino resort, into sovereign tribal territory.

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is scrambling to keep alive its dreams of opening a new Foxwoods-style gambling resort in Massachusetts in the wake of a potentially devastating US Supreme Court decision.

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.