The state attorney general said last week that an agreement between Gov. William F. Weld and the Wampanoag Indian tribe may lead to lawsuits against the state.
Last week Weld signed an agreement that, if approved, would allow casino gambling in the southeastern city of New Bedford. The agreement could be worth several hundred million dollars a year to the state and would allow the Wampanoags to have exclusive rights for six years.
The Wampanoag's casino will be run by the Carnival Entertainment and Cruise Corp.
Attorney general L. Scott Harshbarger said that the agreement may lead to lawsuits from other companies interested in bringing gambling to the state.
Although Weld has said that the legislature will get a chance to vote on the casino, many Democratic lawmakers said that the Republican governor's plan was an attempt to subvert the legislature's authority.
Thomas Green, first deputy attorney general, said last week that the governor's proposal is not binding, must be expanded into a legal contract, and must be ratified by the legislature.
Weld has been a proponent of casino gambling since he took office in 1991.
-- Patrick M. Fitzgibbons, Boston
