The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe recently held a soft opening of its Naskila Entertainment Center in Livingston, Texas. The new alcohol-free casino offers 365 electronic bingo machines, smoking and non-smoking areas, a restaurant and a VIP area. The facility can hold 777 people and created 200 jobs.
The tribe’s bingo hall in the same location in East Texas generated $1 million a month while it was open. It was shut down 14 years ago after Texas officials said state law had precedence over national Indian law and casino gambling wasn’t allowed in Texas.
The tribe claims it has the authority to reopen the Class II casino based on recent rulings by the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Indian Gaming Commission that tribes are sovereign nations and may operate casinos on their reservations, even though state law prevents expanded gambling. The Alabama-Coushattas said they can operate games on its reservation, like the Tigua Indians do on the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo reservation near El Paso.
At the moment Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office has made no move against the new casino. However, Paxton stated in a December court filing regarding the Tiguas that state approval, not just federal, was required. Naskila Entertainment spokesman Chuck McDonald said, “We certainly respect the state’s role in this, and that’s why they’ve been informed and are aware of what’s going on at the Alabama-Coushatta reservation.”
Tribal spokesman Carlos Bullock said more than 200 people visited the casino within four hours of its barely publicized opening, and some waited in the parking lot for two hours before the doors opened. An official grand opening will take place June 2, just before the tribe’s annual pow-wow, a reunion for the tribe’s 1,200 members, Bullock said.
Tribal Council Chair Jo Ann Battise said, “We are very proud to offer a safe, secure entertainment venue to the Big Thicket region. It is significant for the tribe because this economic development project will provide over 200 quality jobs for East Texans and provide much needed financial support for essential tribal government programs and services.”
