The Shinnecock Indians move a step closer to federal recognition, and with that, a step closer to their long-held dream of opening a casino somewhere in the Southampton-Riverhead nexus. Per the NYT: "Once federally recognized, they would immediately have the right to build a 'Class II' casino on their 800-acre reservation, a designation that would mean they could have thousands of video slot machines, but no table games." The Hamptons casino threat, though, is likely to remain just that—a bargaining chip for casino rights elsewhere, perhaps even in Queens. [NYTimes]
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