The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas held a grand opening June 2 at its new Naskila Entertainment on its reservation near Livingston. Tribal spokesperson Carlos Bullock said, “We’ve been looking forward to this day for 14 years and to see it come into fruition is amazing.” Promotions for the Class II gaming facility call it a “New, Closer Destination For Gaming Entertainment,” in reference to Louisiana casinos located less than 100 miles over the state line.
Louisiana Casino Association Executive Director Wade Duty said competition on an even playing field is healthy, but tribal casinos on reservations have an unfair advantage. He explained operations like Naskila help local governments pay for police and fire protection, they do not pay state taxes, whereas commercial casinos in Louisiana pay a 21 percent tax on gaming revenue.
Duty added the Texas tribal casino is “one more competitive pressure that Louisiana operators and the state of Louisiana policymakers will have to look at. At some point we have to sit down and determine what can we do to make Louisiana gaming more competitive. Louisiana gets close to $800 million off all forms of gaming combined and that’s certainly a revenue stream that it desperately needs to protect.”
Duty said if casino gambling is legalized in Texas, Louisiana’s commercial gaming industry could lose even more money.
