After much hemming and hawing, the Trump administration finally came down off the fence on the Mashpee Wampanoag‘s Project First Light casino, saying it couldn’t see a way forward to 
taking the land into trust for gaming purposes. U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young had relied upon Carcieri v. Salazar precedent to block the casino, saying the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act took priority over the tribe’s desire for federal recognition. “The decision by the Trump administration to move forward with denying the Mashpee Wampanoag a right to their ancestral homeland and to keep their reservation is an injustice,” wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) and Sen. Ed Markey (D) in a response to the Bureau of Indian Affairs‘ abandonment of the Wampanoag.
The two senators are working on the long-promised “Carcieri fix,” the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act. Unfortunately, since it is tailor-made to fit one tribe and one 
tribe only, it is open to criticism. Even were it more broadly intended, its chances would be slim. Because Republicans. Calling the ruling “years overdue,” attorney David Tennant, who represents East Taunton residents opposed to the casino (and has never played Dr. Who, to our knowledge), said, “It’s so unfair to say, ‘Oh, this is the Trump administration undoing the Obama administration.’ This is the Department of Interior, which has been under the control of career people who have a pro-tribal bias, and they understood for years that the Mashpee weren’t going to be able to prove eligibility under the statute.”
Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. responded, “I feel for the Mashpee tribe,” and said he would put his backing into congressional action now. He’s going against Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, who understandably is opposed to the Mashpee tribe being poised to threaten her own casino market, 30 miles distant. Casino backers in Brockton also hailed the BIA decision, as they’d like a second bite of the apple. If Warren (and Markey) can pull this “Carcieri fix” off, Mashpee backer Genting Group will owe a big vote of thank$ come November.
Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, incoming Sen. Jon Kyl (R) may be the newest member of the Schumer Gang, the small coalition of 
senators that thinks regulating sports betting is too important to be left to the states (and never mind that the federal government has zero experience in this activity). “The stakes are too high—legal sports betting laws must be crafted and executed in a careful and thoughtful way. The integrity of sports is too precious to not protect as best we can,” Sen. Charles Schumer (D) piously intoned. Yes, and you’re probably planning on levying some “integrity fees” in return for the privilege of being overseen by Uncle Sam.
Sports books would undoubtedly be shaken down, at federal behest, in order to obtain betting information directly from the major leagues, which already stand to make out like bandits. DFS investors like Robert Kraft and Jerry Jones would also have to sell their DraftKings shares. Constraints on advertising and age of eligibility to wager would also be imposed 
on an across-the-board basis. Racetrack owner Jeff Gural had a trenchant retort for the Schumer Gang. “If you look at wagering on horseracing, there is no federal legislation. Every state regulates it. Every state has its own rules for lotteries.” Point well taken. American Gaming Association spokeswoman Sara Slane piled on, adding, “Federal oversight of sports betting was an abject failure for 26 years, only contributing to a thriving illegal market with no consumer protections and safeguards. New federal mandates are a non-starter.” Let’s hope so.
* Dan Gilbert‘s roving eye has settled upon the Detroit Tigers, sources say. And since Major League Baseball takes an exceedingly dim view of gambling, Jack Entertainment is already on the sale block. That means anybody other Penn National 
Gaming (which is maxed out on Ohio gaming licenses) could snap up casinos in Detroit, Cleveland and Cincinnati at one fell swoop. You could also pick up Turfway Park in Kentucky, but that’s lagniappe. Gilbert has never been a great casino owner, so we applaud this move. Look for Boyd Gaming and Eldorado Resorts to be tipped as potential buyers. But what if, having sold its Ohio interests years ago, Caesars Entertainment wants back into the Buckeye State. Wouldn’t that be ironic?
* Las Vegas chefs Bobby Flay and Giada DeLaurentiis play themselves in the latest Scooby-Doo movie. You tell me: Is this an upward or downward move for them? Suffice to say I won’t be hurrying to put it in my Netflix queue.
