Wilda Wahpepah is a special counsel at Sheppard, Mullin & Richter and has a background in Indian gaming through advising Native American tribes and business entities. According to the 2015 edition of Casino City’s Indian Gaming Industry Report, Indian gaming created 612,000 jobs in 2013. Economic growth is the most popular and instantly beneficial part of opening a resort casino like the Wampanoag’s First Light casino in Taunton. Economic growth carries with it numerous gains, most notably job creation. The positives of a tribe opening up a casino are plentiful.
The Mashpee Wampanoag’s proposed casino in Taunton prompts a look at the potential positives and negatives of a tribe opening up a major gaming facility. The same can be said for the Indian gaming industry and its effect on the tribes that put their money down on it. They can be both external and internal, staying within the framework of the entity in question or stretching out to its surrounding environment.
While some effects may be quick and apparent, others are more subtle and quiet. The creation of any major industry or business impacts individuals as well as communities. Native American tribes entering into the world of Indian gaming have a lot to gain, but it doesn’t come without a gamble.
