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Published on: May 11, 2026, at 04:05h.
Updated on: May 11, 2026, at 04:05h.
- Temporary Casino in East Texas to Generate 110 Jobs Before Resort Launch
- Alabama-Coushatta Tribe Initiates Construction on New Naskila Casino Resort
- Supreme Court Decision Paves Way for Expanded Tribal Gaming in Texas
This summer, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe is set to launch a temporary casino in East Texas as it begins work on the anticipated largest casino resort in the state.
The temporary casino in Leggett will operate around the clock, featuring 300 class II electronic bingo machines, per the tribe’s announcement.
“This interim facility will deliver significant economic benefits to Polk County and the surrounding areas, as well as to the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe,” stated Tribal Council Chairman Ricky Sylestine. “The temporary casino will generate 110 new job opportunities, bolster community partnerships, and lay the groundwork for sustainable tourism development.”
Progress on Resort Development
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for June 18 to officially commence construction of the full-scale resort. Limited information has been shared about the project, but it will be branded as the Naskila Casino Resort, expected to feature a sophisticated casino area, hotel amenities, and a variety of dining and entertainment choices, as indicated by the tribe’s press release.
The largest casino resort in Texas currently is the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass, located near the Mexican border, and it is one of just three gaming establishments in the state. These include the Alabama-Coushatta’s existing Naskila Casino in Livingston, a smaller gaming venue that will close to accommodate the new Naskila Casino Resort.
Unlike the previous establishment, the upcoming venue will be constructed off-reservation on tribal-owned land. Last September, Tribal Chairwoman Cecilia Flores informed the Polk County Enterprise that the federal National Indian Gaming Commission confirmed the land’s eligibility for gaming activities.
The tribe has not disclosed publically how the project will be financed, nor has there been mention of potential collaboration with a major gaming enterprise for this endeavor.
This development comes on the heels of a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2023, which established that Texas cannot inhibit the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe from providing Class II gaming, including electronic bingo, on its reservation according to federal regulations.
This decision culminated decades of legal disputes between Texas and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe, as well as the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, regarding tribal gaming rights.
The Dynamics of Texas Gaming
The crux of the conflict was rooted in the 1986 Texas Restoration Act (TRA), the federal statute that reaffirmed the tribes’ federal recognition and land rights while also including provisions that curtailed gaming operations.
In 1988, Congress enacted the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), which laid the groundwork for tribal gaming across the country and affirmed the rights of tribes to manage Class II gaming on sovereign soil.
The Alabama-Coushatta and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribes contended that the IGRA took precedence over the gaming restrictions outlined in the Restoration Act.
The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas, the only other federally recognized tribe in Texas, has long allowed electronic bingo operations under IGRA due to a lack of similar restrictions in the federal law that acknowledges them.
In 1994, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that the Alabama-Coushatta and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribes were still governed by the Restoration Act instead of IGRA. Nearly 30 years later, the Supreme Court reversed this ruling, allowing the commencement of Class II gaming activities.
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