Another town has said no to casino gambling. Voters in Freetown voted Tuesday to reject a proposal by the Wampanoag Tribe of Aquinnah to build a casino in the South Coast town. The non-binding referendum failed by a tally of 954-to-308.
The federally recognized Quinnah tribe has proposed a $167 million casino, hotel, and retail development along Route 140 in Freetown and Lakeville, where the tribe holds an option to buy land. A vote in Lakeville is scheduled for this Saturday.
Leia Adey, with two young children trailing her, told the Boston Globe she moved to the area because it is rural. “The last thing we want is a casino,” she said. Resident George Wilcox has lived in Freetown for 35 years and wants things to stay the same. “I think the benefits are far outweighed by the negative aspects,” he said. “The money isn’t going to compensate for the traffic and other impacts on the town.”
According to the Globe, though the vote is not binding, the outcome in Freetown denies the tribe any political momentum to pressure Governor Deval Patrick to back off his position that the Aquinnah lack the legal right to build a tribal casino.
Source and More Details: Boston Globe
