Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Gambling On International Investors

The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe had tried to bring a casino to Middleborough with the original investors, but that deal has fell apart in recent months. The tribe has decided to move on and bring in new international investors.

Relations with the old investors, Len Wolman and Sol Kerzner, began to deteriorate after former Tribal Council Chairman Glenn Marshall was convicted of embezzlement and fraud. The investors had an agreement with Marshall that was not upheld by the new council members.

After the tribe decided to go in another direction, the original investors stopped making payments for the casino project. That hurt the relationship even further, and the Mashpee tribe has now moved along.

Not everyone believes that the change of investment groups will be a bad thing for the Middleborough project. Some, including the lawyer that helped Middleborough secure the casino deal, Dennis Whittlesey, feel that the new investors could be a positive for Middleborough.

"They (Kien Huat) have a lot of money and they are experienced in getting projects done," said Whittlesey, as reported by The Boston Globe, "Depending on the terms of the deal, this could be a very positive development."

Kien Huat is a powerful international company that has experience in casino development. They are based in Malaysia, and the Mashpee tribe believes that the investor is serious about completing the Middleborough project.

November 30, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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