Opinion ID: 805657
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Other Tribe-Related Provisions

Text: The Massachusetts Gaming Act also contains several other provisions relating to Indian gaming. The Act appropriates $5 million for use in negotiating and executing a compact with a federally recognized Indian tribe in the commonwealth to establish a tribal casino in region C. 2011 Mass. Acts ch. 194, § 2A. The Commission is empowered to provide assistance to the governor in negotiating a compact with a federally-recognized Indian tribe in the commonwealth. Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 23K, § 4(40). The Commission is required to: Compact § 9.2.4. This provision allows the tribe to elect to either: (a) cease operations of its casino within sixty (60) days, or (b) continue under this Compact but reduce the Allocation [to the Commonwealth] to fifteen percent (15%) of Gross Gaming Revenues. Id. -9- continue to evaluate the status of Indian tribes in the commonwealth including, without limitation, gaining federal recognition or taking land into trust for tribal economic development. The commission shall evaluate and make a recommendation to the governor and the chairs of the joint committee on economic development and emerging technologies as to whether it would be in the best interest of the commonwealth to enter into any negotiations with those tribes for the purpose of establishing Class III gaming on tribal land. Id. § 67. The Act creates a thirteen member gaming policy advisory committee, and requires one of the governor's eight appointees to the committee to be a representative of a federally recognized Indian tribe in the commonwealth. Id. § 68(a). The committee must meet at least once a year to make advisory recommendations to the Commission. Id. The Act expressly provides that the committee's recommendations shall not be binding on the commission. Id.