However, Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office has appealed that decision from last year. Many supporters heard about this decision and assumed that the future of Naskila was secure. Last year, a federal judge in Beaumont ruled that the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas may legally operate Naskila Gaming, saying that the electronic bingo operated at the facility is permissible under the federal Restoration Act passed in 1987. We believe that we have the right to operate Naskila Gaming under federal law and prior court rulings, and we know the benefits of this facility reverberate throughout our region. This is why we and our supporters have fought so hard for our right to operate this facility.
Furthermore, our Tribe will lose our clearest path to long-term sustainability and self-determination. If the state succeeds, our Tribe will have to close Naskila, 700 jobs will go away, and Polk County will lose its second-largest employer. For many years, the State of Texas has been fighting in court to close Naskila Gaming.
