The town of Aquinnah, the commonwealth and a community group mounted a last-ditch effort to nullify the Wampanoag tribe’s asserted right to build a gambling hall on the Island.
A federal appeals court this week temporarily froze the effect of its ruling that the Aquinnah tribe has the legal authority to operate a gambling hall on the Vineyard.
A federal appeals court has rejected another bid to halt efforts by the Aquinnah Wampanoags to conduct a gambling operation on Martha’s Vineyard, narrowing the legal options for the town, state and community group.
The commonwealth of Massachusetts joined Aquinnah and a community group this week in challenging a federal appellate panel’s ruling that gave the green light to a tribal gambling facility.
Facing long odds, the town of Aquinnah and a community group this week officially decided to fight to overturn an appellate court’s ruling that a gambling hall can be located on tribal land at the Island’s western edge.
The U.S. Court of Appeals this week delivered a sharp, clear message to the Wampanoag tribe — it has the right to operate an electronic bingo parlor on protected tribal lands.
A federal judge will not reconsider his recent ruling rejecting a bid by the Wampanoag tribe to build a casino in Aquinnah. The case is now expected to head to a formal appeal process.
As the Aquinnah tribe presses its case in federal court to open a gambling hall on the Island, it has been granted an extension to repay $1.1 million in federal funds used to build a community center that’s targeted for the casino.
