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FACT BRIEF

Do Native American tribes operate casinos in Texas?

By Haley Samsel
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YES

Three federally recognized Native American tribes operate casinos in Texas, though the state largely outlaws gambling with the exception of the lottery, bingo and greyhound and horse racing.

The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe in Eagle Pass has the only Texas casino authorized under a federal law giving special gaming rights to tribes. Because they don’t have that distinction, the Tigua tribe of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo in El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe in Livingston have faced legal challenges.

State officials have attempted to shut down the casinos several times since the 1980s. A 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed the Tigua and Alabama-Coushatta tribes to continue offering electronic bingo because Texas law does not prohibit or criminalize the game.

State lawmakers, sports franchises and casino operators attempted to expand gambling in 2023. Legislation, including a bill sponsored by state Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth, failed to pass.

See a full discussion of this at Fort Worth Report
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Texas Tribune Supreme Court sides with tribes in fight with Texas over authorized gambling on their lands
El Paso Matters US Supreme Court sides with El Paso’s Tigua tribe in decades-long gambling fight with Texas
Houston Chronicle Kickapoo tribe says Texas bill expanding gambling threatens their casino and jobs it creates
Texas Tribune Effort to allow casinos falls short in Texas House
Play USA Texas Gambling Bill Would Authorize Compact Negotiations With Kickapoo
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.