Door opened to commercial casino bids in SE Mass.

With a 5-0 vote, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission opened up Region C, or southeastern Massachusetts, to commercial casino developers, with a parallel track to allow the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to continue to pursue the necessary federal permits to establish a casino in Taunton.

At its April 18 meeting, the commission indicated that it expects to make a licensing decision late next year and will consider the status of the tribe’s effort when deciding whether to issue a commercial license.

Commercial developers in Region C will be subject to the same process evaluation criteria as in Region A (Greater Boston) and Region B (western Massachusetts):

• The commission will issue a Phase 1 Request For Proposals (RFP) – which will allow applicants for the license to submit information regarding their background and suitability – and set a deadline for responses.

• The commission will make suitability determinations after evaluating submissions.

• The commission will then issue a Phase 2, site-specific RFP for those approved in Phase 1 and set a deadline for responses.

In deciding on a license in Region C, the commission said in a statement issued after the April 18 meeting that it will “take into account the economic consequences of the then-current status of the Tribal-State and Federal Land Trust process, the contents of the commercial Phase 2 RFP responses, the regional and statewide gaming and other economic conditions then existing and forecast, and all other relevant information as it then exists.”

Last month, the commission released its draft Phase 2 regulations, which cover issues relevant to prospective host and surrounding communities. The MMA intends to submit testimony at a hearing scheduled for May 3.

The commission also announced a further adjustment to its licensing schedule for a single slots parlor in Massachusetts. While the commission had aspired to a September deadline for the issuance of the license, the target has reverted to December, as had been planned earlier in the process.

For complete information about proposed regulations and the licensing process, visit massgaming.com.