Aquinnah Wampanoag to pursue Martha’s Vineyard casino

A referendum which would have blocked members of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe to bring limited gambling to Martha’s Vineyard failed to win a two-thirds majority vote on Sunday.

The Aquinnah Wampanoag Indian tribe’s plan to bring electronic, bingo-style games to an unfinished tribal community center in Martha’s Vineyard faces opposition from a group of private landowners, the town of Aquinnah, and the state of Massachusetts.

Fellow tribal member who oppose an on-island casino gathered enough signatures from tribal members to force a special election asking one question: “Do you vote to repeal Tribal Council enacted resolutions on change of use of the Unfinished Community Center Building on Tribal Lands?”

Aquinnah Wampanoag Chairman Tobias Vanderhoop said the vote was 110-110 with eight votes disqualified, and the tribe’s constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote for referendums to pass and this initiative did not attain the required number of votes to become binding on the Tribal Council.