The Shinnecock Indian Nation, a recently recognized tribe based in the Long Island community of Southampton, will sign and submit a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to government officials, the first step in gaining the necessary clearances to develop a casino.  

According to Crain’s New York, the tribe will likely take land into trust somewhere near its Long Island home to build the proposed casino. The tribe reportedly has an agreement with nearby Nassau County to house the property somewhere within its borders, with the Nassau Coliseum and land in the town of Yaphak rumored as the leading sites.  

The tribe has a long way to go before it can begin casino development. It needs to negotiate a gaming compact with the state and get approval to move land into trust from the federal government. Both these procedures have to overcome numerous hurdles and will likely take years to accomplish.