Shinnecock Tribe Closer To New York Southampton Casino

The Shinnecock Indian Nation may not admit it, but they are shaking in their pants at potentially having the opportunity to place a casino near the Hamptons. On Tuesday, the tribe cleared another hurdle on the way towards that goal.

The Shinnecock Tribe reached an agreement with the Interior Department that will ensure that their tribal status will be ruled upon by the end of the year. If they win federal recognition, the casino will not be far behind.

The tribe is located in Southampton, New York, and they are trying to help out their members economically. A casino would provide much needed jobs and revenue that would help the Shinnecock people stay away from financial hardship.

"We're surrounded by the wealthiest communities in the country, yet the state of affairs on the reservation is one of offhanded neglect," said Frederick C. Bess, one of the Shinnecock Nation's three trustees, as reported in The New York Times.

The battle over whether to recognize the tribe has been ongoing for years. In 2003, the Shinnecocks began to break ground for a potential casino, and that angered many people. Since then, not much progress has been made in resolving the dispute.

Tribal casinos have provided tremendous financial opportunities all across the US. The state of California has led the way with tribal casinos throughout the country. Other states have also recently added new tribal casinos.

Casino gambling is growing across the US at a record pace. Individual states have expanded their gambling laws and casinos are being used a s a major source of revenue for struggling budgets in all of these states.

May 27, 2009
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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