AQUINNAH – A casino fight is brewing on Martha’s Vineyard.
The town of Aquinnah filed a request for a temporary restraining order Tuesday that would compel the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe to stop construction of a gambling hall on their property.
Tribe members opposed to gambling are also gathering signatures for a possible August referendum. Some are considering staging sit-ins to prevent further construction in the meantime.
The activity comes after the tribe said it won’t honor a cease and desist order the town issued July 6.
The tribe is converting an unfinished community center into a gambling facility offering bingo-style electronic games.
The town says the tribe should wait until a judge decides on its lawsuit challenging the proposal. That case goes before a federal judge Aug. 12.