NIGC | Opinion

Editorial: Tigua Tribe finally gets some good news about gaming

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

The Speaking Rock Entertainment Center on the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo in El Paso, Texas. Photo from Facebook

Texas newspaper supports the Tigua Tribe in its efforts to engage in gaming but warns of a major fight from the state:

El Paso’s Tigua Indians received a rare dose of positive news in its decades-long efforts to legally operate a casino on tribal land. The National Indian Gaming Commission and the solicitor general of the U.S. Department of the Interior issued opinions that said the tribe could offer what’s known as Class II gaming at Speaking Rock Casino.
But those opinions, filed under seal with an El Paso federal court in early October and unsealed last week, are unlikely to be the final word on the subject. Instead, the rulings could set the stage for another Tigua legal battle with the state, and another fight between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Obama administration.
First, a little history. After Texas expanded gaming in the 1990s by allowing dog and horse wagering and then a state lottery, the Tiguas wanted to offer gambling operations of their own. A 1988 law known as the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, or IGRA, allowed tribes to conduct gambling in states that allowed wagering.
But starting in 1992 with Ann Richards, a series of Texas governors rebuffed those requests. The Tiguas opened a full-fledged casino anyway. Years of litigation followed, and at virtually each step, district and appellate courts sided with the state and against the Tiguas.

Get the Story:
Editorial: Expect Texas fight on Tigua gaming (The El Paso Times 11/1)