- First Light Casino in Massachusetts has expanded its hours
- The casino is running midnight specials three days a week
First Light, a Native casino in Taunton, Massachusetts, is seeking to become a late-night hangout by running specials after midnight.
The modular temporary casino is owned and operated by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, the so-called “People of the First Light.” The Class II electronic bingo-based gaming facility has over 200 slot-like machines, along with a welcome center that touts a much larger, permanent casino coming to the property in the coming years.
As of Sunday, January 4, First Light is now open from 8 am until 2 am, seven days a week. Before Sunday, the casino’s hours were from 10 am daily.
“Whether you’re an early riser or just love getting a head start, we’ll be ready at First Light Casino,” the announcement said. The casino adds that the earlier start will provide “more time to play.”
Late-Night Promotions
Along with two additional operating hours, First Light is seeking to become a last-call paradise with late-night happy hours.
Beginning at midnight on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, casino rewards players now receive double points on their play until the doors shut at 2 am. To earn double points, a player must be enrolled as a First Light Rewards member.
On Mondays, all rewards players receive a $10 free play bonus after midnight. On Tuesdays, veterans, first responders, teachers, tribal members, and anyone over the age of 50 receive $5 in free play after midnight. On Wednesdays, the first 150 guests receive $10 in free play.
Ahead of the holidays, First Light ran a humorous advertising campaign poking fun at itself and its long pursuit of running a casino in Massachusetts.
In 2012, the Mashpees partnered with Malaysian-based gaming giant Genting for a $1 billion casino resort on land that the tribe had recently acquired. But differing opinions from the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs under the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations kept the project on hold and ultimately led to Genting abandoning the partnership.
The federal agency issued differing opinions on whether the hundreds of acres that the Mashpee’s bought in Taunton and Mashpee in 2012 qualify for sovereign designation. The land was finally deemed self-governing in February 2023, clearing the way for the tribe to conduct Class I and II gaming on the land as defined by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
Last April, the Mashpees reached a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Taunton that directs 2.05% of the gross gaming revenue won by the casino to the local government. In exchange, the city agreed to forfeit legal claims that the tribe was behind on more than $2.35 million in property taxes.
Financiers Wanted
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe hopes to one day begin construction on a permanent casino, but the small Native American community first needs a development partner to finance the project. The tribe has scaled back its resort plans to a prospective cost of $100 million.
To entice a financier, Class III gaming privileges are likely needed. Class III gaming allows traditional slot machines, live dealer table games, and sports betting, similar to the tribal casinos in neighboring Connecticut. To date, lawmakers in Boston and Gov. Maura Healey (D) have demonstrated little enthusiasm to negotiate a tribal gaming compact.
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