Published on: September 26, 2025, 12:11h.
Updated on: September 26, 2025, 12:11h.
- First Light Casino set to serve alcohol
- This Massachusetts tribal facility has no traditional slots or table games
- Currently, only electronic bingo terminals are available
First Light Casino located in Massachusetts is preparing to offer alcoholic beverages.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who manage the East Taunton casino, has received federal and state authorization to allow the sale and serving of alcohol at their facility located at 1 O’Connell Way. Starting from October 14, the venue featuring 250 electronic gaming machines will be permitted to serve beer, wine, and spirits.
The Federal Register, the official publication of the U.S. government, has been updated to confirm the federal approval for alcohol service on lands owned by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. This federal ordinance is necessary, alongside state approval, for the tribe to legally serve alcoholic beverages.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Liquor Ordinance officially permits the sale, purchase, transportation, production, consumption, and possession of alcoholic beverages on the tribe’s trust lands.
In 2021, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs placed 321 acres of land in Mashpee and East Taunton, which the tribe has held since 2012, into federal trust. The tribe’s existing 170-acre area in East Taunton is currently home to their temporary casino, with aspirations to develop a full-scale resort akin to Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods, featuring traditional slot machines and live dealer games.
Tax-Exempt Alcohol
As a federally recognized sovereign nation, the tribe is exempt from all federal and state taxes, including sales and consumption taxes.
The ordinance states, “Nothing in this Ordinance is meant to limit or restrict the Tribe’s right to impose taxes on liquor sales or consumption. The Tribe maintains the right to enforce such taxes to the fullest extent allowed by Federal law.”
First Light Casino operates every day from 10 am until 2 am. Despite their tax exemptions, they must adhere to local laws concerning alcohol, such as service hours and minimum drinking age regulations.
In Massachusetts, only individuals 21 and older are permitted to consume alcohol. State regulations restrict on-site service at bars and restaurants to 8 am until 2 am from Monday to Saturday, and from 10 am until 2 am on Sundays. However, in 2018, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor successfully secured state permission to serve alcohol until 4 am.
First Light indicated in its liquor license that alcohol service would commence at 11 am from Monday to Saturday and at noon on Sundays, with service ending at 9:30 pm from Sunday to Thursday and at 11:30 pm from Friday to Saturday.
The Future of the Casino Remains Uncertain
Recently, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has rebranded its casino operations. The First Light Casino Welcome Center has removed the “welcome center” designation, and tribal leadership no longer refers to the facility as temporary, simply calling it a casino.
This change might signal that the tribe’s ongoing challenges in securing funding for a larger permanent casino resort are not likely to be resolved in the near future. Alongside construction expenses, the tribe will face considerable lobbying efforts to persuade state officials and Governor Maura Healey (D) to enter into a Class III gaming compact, necessary for traditional slot machines and table games. Without this agreement, it will be difficult for the tribe to find a lender for any project exceeding $100 million.
Currently, First Light Casino operates under classification I and II, as outlined by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which limits offerings to electronic bingo-type games.