The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas opened its 15,000 square foot Class II gaming facility, Naskila Gaming, near Livingston in Polk County in May. The .9 million venue offers 365 electronic bingo machines and a restaurant, and employs 190 people with million in annual salaries. The tribe pursued the casino following approval from the National Indian Gaming Commission in 2015, allowing it to operate Naskila pending the outcome of a legal review. Casino gambling is illegal in Texas; the only exception is the Kickapoo Tribe’s Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel.
Officials closed an earlier version of Naskila Gaming 15 years ago, claiming state law overrode tribal rulings.
In July, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office filed a petition with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas asking the court to overrule sections of the 1988 Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and close Naskila Gaming.
Alabama-Coushatta Tribal Council member Clint Poncho said he does not expect a ruling in the case “for at least ten months.” He added he is “confident we will be a winner in this fight.” Tribal Council member Roland Poncho added the tribe plans to operate Naskila Gaming “24 hours a day, seven days a week until the court makes its final decision.”
Tribal Council member Jo Ann Battise noted, “As most of our neighbors know, our tribe has occupied our tribal lands in the Big Thicket region for more than 200 years. However, what many in the region may not realize is that our tribe is a fully functioning sovereign government with a full array of health and human services to support. Gaming offers a stable source of income to sustain and improve these vital tribal services while creating jobs for both tribal and non-tribal citizens.”
