WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) recently introduced the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas Fair Tribal Gaming Regulatory Compliance Act, which will ensure all federally recognized tribes that are eligible for gaming in the United States are regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
“I’m proud to have introduced Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas Fair Tribal Gaming Act to ensure equal opportunity in economic growth and job development across the tribes,” said Congressman Luttrell. “By ensuring the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe is, in fact, covered under IGRA, it will allow the tribe to continue to invest in the surrounding community and provide for essential government services on the reservation. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to get this bipartisan bill signed into law.”
“Naskila Casino is a proven engine of economic activity for Deep East Texas, responsible for 825 permanent jobs and more than $200 million in annual activity,” said Ricky Sylestine, Tribal Council Chairman, Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. “We are grateful that Congressman Morgan Luttrell and other Texans in Congress are working to protect the economic well-being of our region and the sustainability of our tribe. The United States Supreme Court and United States District Court – Eastern District of Texas have affirmed and upheld our right to offer electronic bingo on our reservation and now we hope that Congress will put us under the same regulatory framework as other tribes across the country.”
“Many tribal nations rely on gaming to fund the infrastructure and services their communities need, and it is important that all tribal nations offering gaming are treated equally and regulated under the same federal framework,” said Larry Wright, Jr., Executive Director of National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). “This includes both the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, each of which should be regulated no differently than any other tribal nations anywhere throughout the United States, so that they, too, can engage in gaming operations that are critically important to their people and their communities.”
“Tribal nations across the United States stand with the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo as they seek to be under the same regulatory structure as other tribal nations,” said Chief Kirk Francis, Sr., President, USET Sovereignty Protection Fund. “These tribal nations make significant contributions to their communities and to the Texas economy, and it is important that all tribal nations are governed under a consistent structure that provides fairness and certainty for their citizens.”
