Casino gambling is prohibited under Texan law, but the state has one operating casino under federal jurisdiction. That’s the Indian Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino. Alabama-Coushatta and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, two other Indian tribes in Texas, have petitioned to operate similar casinos on the territories of their reservations.
The state’s courts have cited the Federal Restoration Act of 1987, and these tribes are not allowed to open casinos at this time.
The Restoration Act ruling led to the adoption of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) one year later.
For more information, you’ll find all the latest news on gambling in Texas at PlayTexas.com. Here is the list of the most popular casinos in the state.
1. Lucky Eagle Casino
The casino mentioned at the beginning of this article was founded in 1996. It is located in Eagle Pass, a small town of Eagle Pass, about 100 miles away from San Antonio.
Despite being legal under the IGRA, the Texas Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit over its legality in 2008. The tribe appealed. The case now sits in the Supreme Court after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Kickapoo tribe.
2. Naskila
More than two decades ago, the Coushatta Tribe of Texas established a gambling venue in Livingston. It was in operation for only nine months. The Fifth Circuit Court ruled that it was being operated in violation of the 1987 Indian Restoration Act. During its operation, the venue generated $1 million a month for the tribe.
Things looked up for the tribe on a federal level. The US Department of Interior stipulated the venue should never have been closed, and the tribe reopened it in 2016. Now called Naskila Gaming, it is not only a casino but also a bingo hall.
3. Speaking Rock Casino
El Paso’s Tigua tribe opened the Speaking Rock in 1993. Before that, they asked the Texan governor for permission, which was denied. They opened it anyway, feeling the state shouldn’t have a say where their rights under federal law were concerned.
With that, a decade-long legal battle commenced. Ultimately, the US Department of Interior decided their casino was legal, and it reopened in 2016 under the name Speaking Rock Entertainment Center. Currently, no betting takes place there, but the tribe plans to reintroduce Class II gambling.
The rest of the venues on this list have not had any legal issues. They include Riverstar, Choctaw, Winstar, and Border Casino.
4. Riverstar Casino
The Riverstar Casino sprawls over an impressive 37,000 square feet, featuring 600 exciting electronic games. Table games include three-card poker, blackjack, and Texas Hold’Em poker. There are three blackjack tables and two Texas Hold’Em tables. The casino is a 2-hour drive from Dallas.
5. Choctaw Casino Resort
This casino is 94 miles away from Dallas. It also features the only AAA Four Diamond hotel in the region. More than 4,500 slots are available to choose from.
6. Winstar World
Just 80 miles away from downtown Dallas, this complex is one of the biggest nationwide, spanning more than 500,000 sq. feet. It hosts bingo and poker tournaments, VIP mega-high stakes parlors, and numerous internationally themed gaming plazas.
7. Border Casino
The final choice has an area of 88,000 sq. feet and features over 2,300 electronic games. It is about 1.30 hours away from Dallas, with a convenient location near the border with Oklahoma.
Thank you for reading this article about the most popular casinos in Texas. Keep in mind the minimum gambling ages: 21 for poker, horseracing, and casinos and 18 for bingo and the lottery.
Why should you visit some of these incredible gambling places?
Gambling activity become a part of our everyday lives. In fact, a recent study has shown that one out of every four persons engages in gambling activities. This is not surprising to hear since playing casino games whether in-person or online truly can have a positive impact on a person’s well-being. Not only that this is a highly engaging and fun way to spend time and relax yourself, but it comes with a wide range of health benefits as well.
Gambling is promoting positivity
Believe it or not, gambling can truly boost your mood and invoke a feeling of happiness. There was research conducted that shows how much people who are gambling are way happier than people engaged in some other entertaining activities. The level of excitement that gambling brings can have an incredibly positive impact on a person’s well-being. Therefore, if you never had a chance to gamble before, and you want to entertain yourself and forget about all of your problems, go to the casino. Believe us, you will walk out of it in a much better mood.
Gambling is providing the feeling of valuing the money
Casinos are the place that will best teach you how much you should value money. You are probably wondering why. Well, gambling is all about investing money and making a smart decisions. Once you see that you can lose a lot of money, you will start developing different tactics and strategies that will help you not only save your own money but earn more as well. One of those strategies is called bankroll management. It will teach you to never invest money that you can not afford to lose.
Gambling will offer you skill enhancement
Many people are wrong in thinking that you can not develop any skill by engaging in gambling activities. There are in fact, lots of skills that are used for successful gambling. As a player, you need to sharpen different skills including your math skills, pattern recognition skills, mental focus, etc. Additionally, you will constantly need to develop different tactics if you are playing table games and improve your critical thinking skills. The poker game will include psychological elements in the gameplay so you will need to learn how to read the body language of other players and to tell who is bluffing.
Gambling will provide you with socialization
There are a lot of gamblers that enjoy visiting land-based casinos just because they have the opportunity to engage with other players and interact with them. If you have a problem with making friends, this is a great place where you can meet new people that will have the same interests as you. Socialization is one of the most significant benefits of gambling at this age. It is way better to enjoy this entertaining activity and share it with other people. There are not many activities that will provide you with entertainment and the benefit of this kind. Best of all, you can make friends from all around the world.