A new casino resort is coming to Texas. Here’s what to know about tribal casino laws
Construction is underway on what’s expected to become the largest casino resort in Texas.
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe is building the new Naskila Resort & Casino in the Piney Woods of deep East Texas, about a four-and-a-half hour drive from Fort Worth.
But Texas has some of the nation’s strictest gambling laws, so how is this casino legal?
Here’s what to know.
Why can Native American tribes operate casinos in Texas?
Federally-recognized Native American tribes don’t follow the same gambling laws as commercial casinos.
According to the Congressional Research Service, that’s because tribes are sovereign governments, meaning they have the legal authority to govern their own lands.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 sets the rules for when tribes can offer gaming on tribal lands.
Texas has three federally-recognized Native American tribes that operate casinos: the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, also known as the Tigua Tribe.
The Alabama-Coushatta and Tigua tribes are also covered by the Texas Restoration Act, a federal law that restored federal recognition to both tribes in 1987 and said gambling prohibited under Texas law would also be prohibited on their reservations.
That language led to years of legal battles over whether Texas could block certain gaming activities on tribal land.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Texas cannot use the Restoration Act to prohibit gaming the state allows elsewhere, even if it’s heavily regulated.
The decision clarified how the Restoration Act applies and reaffirmed that tribal gaming is primarily governed by federal law.
What games can I play at Texas tribal casinos?
Texas tribal casinos mainly offer electronic bingo instead of traditional slot machines. While the machines look similar, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act classifies them differently.
Electronic bingo is considered Class II gaming, which includes electronic bingo, bingo, pull-tab games and certain non-banked card games, where players compete against each other instead of against the casino.
Traditional slot machines and most Las Vegas-style casino games require a tribal state agreement, which Texas has never entered into.
That’s why visitors won’t find traditional slot machines or table games such as blackjack, roulette or craps at Texas tribal casinos.
What’s next for tribal casinos in Texas?
According to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, the first phase of Naskila Resort & Casino is scheduled to open in late 2028.
The nearly 95-acre development will include restaurants, bars, conference space and about 3,400 electronic bingo machines.
Future phases will add a 366-room hotel, a resort-style pool, an event center and other amenities, expanding the property into a full-scale resort destination.
The tribe hasn’t said whether the existing Naskila Gaming facility will remain open after the new resort opens.
While the new resort is under construction, Texans can still visit the state’s three tribal gaming facilities, including Naskila Gaming near Livingston, Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass and Speaking Rock Entertainment Center in El Paso.
