A Massachusetts casino that started out as having 10 slot machines in a trailer is working on expanding, including selling alcohol.
Alcohol sales will start at First Light Casino in Taunton on Oct. 14, according to a Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe liquor control ordinance.
In 2016, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe officially broke ground on what it had planned to be a 150,000 square foot destination resort casino. It had aimed to be the first first full-scale gambling facility to open in Massachusetts.
The project, which carried an estimated $1 billion price tag, had planned to include 3,000 slots, 150 gaming tables and 40 poker tables, as well as retail shopping and three hotels. It was expected to be completed in phases with a gambling hall slated to open by June 2017 — more than a year ahead of the planned MGM Springfield and Wynn Boston Harbor casinos, according to the Boston Globe.
But the project was stalled for years due to a legal battle with neighbors, according to The Taunton Daily Gazette.
The tribe ultimately won in 2024 and announced it would build a Welcome Center.
The Welcome Center was about educating the public on the Tribe’s history, Kevin Jones, the chief strategy officer and legal officer for Genting Americas, Inc., told the Taunton Daily Gazette. It would also have a “sampling” of the gaming, which included 10 gaming machines.
The Welcome Center opened on Jan. 26 at 1 O’Connell Way and was expanded on March 7.
A day later, a Wareham resident hit a $20,000 jackpot at the expanded casino.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate our expansion,” said Brian Weeden, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. “Seeing one of our guests take home a life-changing prize so soon after opening is just the beginning, and we’re thrilled to offer an experience where moments like this can happen every day.”
Over the year, the casino has expanded its hours and continued working on obtaining the ability to serve alcohol.
It now has approval on both the state and federal level to begin serving alcohol later this month.
The casino is expected to have three sections where it’ll serve alcohol. One is a self service refrigerator glass area, the second is a self service vending area and third is by the food trucks outside, Heffernan told the Taunton Daily Gazette.
For now, people can bring their own alcohol to some of the casino’s weekend events.
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