Super rich residents fight casino plan

The super rich residents of The Hamptons – the high-cost part of Long Island, New York – are being upset by a native tribe’s plan to build a casino resort there.

The Shinnecock tribe said that it wants to build a casino on a 900-acre piece of sovereign territory on the Shinnecock Bay in Southampton, having first received the go-ahead from the US National Gaming Commission.

The tribe, with 800 members, is a recognised tribe of the Indians based on the eastern end of Long Island. They have lived on their reservation for almost 200 years. They want a 76,000sq.ft gaming facility to be built on their land. They now only need approval of an environmental impact study from the Gaming Commission to start building.

But the super rich of The Hamptons have set out in opposition, forming a Hamptons Neighborhood Group to challenge the proposal, claiming that The Hamptons is not suitable for the project. They fear the impact on the value of their properties, but cite traffic concerns and the influx of visitors.