Coushatta, Ala., building a new casino in Texas after Scotus ruling
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas has announced it will build a new casino resort after winning a long-running battle with the state over the right to offer gambling on land 100 miles northeast of Houston.
While the tribe did not provide details on the size of the proposed venue, it is expected to dwarf its existing modest gaming hall, the Naskila Casino. The tribe said it will offer a state-of-the-art casino floor, hotel accommodations and a variety of dining and entertainment options.
Supreme Court ruling changes everything
A June 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling made this expansion possible. It noted that federal law does not allow Texas to prevent tribes from offering category II games, such as electronic bingo, on their reservations.
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe and another tribe, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, are locked in a decades-long legal battle with the government over gambling. That's because the federal Texas Restoration Act (TRA), which recognized their sovereign status and restored their lands in 1986, included a provision prohibiting gambling.
Two years later, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulation Act (IGRA), which codified tribal gaming and gave tribes the right to offer secondary gaming on their sovereign lands.
The two tribes argue they were forced to sign the TRA because they believed it was their only chance to gain sovereignty. Meanwhile, the Kickapoo, the only federally recognized tribe in Texas, has been legally offering electronic bingo at IGRA-owned Lucky Eagle Casino for 25 years. This is because it is recognized by laws that do not contain non-gambling provisions.
Thirty Years of Struggle
In 1994, the Fifth Circuit ruled that tribes' gambling rights were governed by the TRA, which in this case superseded the IGRA. Nearly 30 years later, the decision was overturned by the country's highest court.
Now, Alabama-Coushatta can invest in expanding its gaming venues because they no longer have to worry about state authorities closing them down, like they did with Casino Naskila.
"We are extremely excited to begin this new chapter," Tribal Council Chairman Ricky Sylestine said in a statement. "This new casino resort will not only bring new opportunities to the people who live and work in the region, It will bring significant economic benefits and will also become a vibrant destination for tourists.
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Source: www.casino.org
