Jena Band fulfills dream with debut of Class II gaming facility

Wednesday, February 20, 2013  

It only took 15 years but the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians in Louisiana has finally joined the Indian gaming industry.

The Jena Choctaw Pines Casino opened its doors last week. The tribe turned to Class II gaming after prior efforts were met with opposition at the state and federal level.

"This is something we've been working on for 15 years," Chief B. Smith said, The Jena Times reported. "You can't imagine how our members felt when they walked in here Monday night and saw the reality. There are a lot of people who worked on this project who are no longer with us. They are not with us in body, but I can feel their spirits with me."

The tribe is already making plans to expand the facility.

Get the Story:
Jena Choctaw Pines Casino opens (The Jena Times 2/20

Jena Band making plans to expand brand new gaming facility (2/13)