The state government sued to shut the casino down, claiming that when the state officially recognized the Tigua and Alabama-Coushatta tribes, it forbade them from operating casinos. The Tigua had already begun adding table games to the Speaking Rock Casino.
However, the state of Texas refused to consider it. They argued that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act granted them the ability to apply for a class 3 license. The Tigua Indian tribe attempted to expand to table games like poker and blackjack. At first, it was based on bingo- it was and still is legal to bet on bingo games, so that formed the basis for the casino’s games. The Tigua were the first to attempt running a casino. All three have opened casinos, but only Lucky Eagle, which the Kickapoo operate, survives. The state of Texas has three Indian tribes: the Kickapoo, the Tigua, and the Alabama-Coushatta. The US government passed a law called the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in the 1980s, which allowed Indian tribes to operate any kind of gambling device or game that was legal in the state in which they wanted to do business.
The history of Indian casinos in Texas illustrates the tight control state law has over the gaming industry.
