Representing the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and Naskila Casino, Second Chief Herb Johnson Jr. recently presented a program for the Livingston Lions Club.
“We had a groundbreaking June 18 at the site for the new casino in Leggett. This is a big milestone for us as we prepare for bigger and better and it reflects the continued progress as we mark the next phase of growth,” Johnson said. “The site is 95 acres and the new casino will have 3,400 games.”
Johnson said this year marks the 10-year anniversary of Naskila Casino, known as ‘the luckiest spot in Texas, and that right now there are three different locations in which one may play – Naskila Casino on the reservation, the Ischoopa Travel Center near the reservation, and the temporary casino in Leggett which opened in late August.
“The casino is a major economic driver for East Texas, Livingston, Polk County and the surrounding communities. We’re getting ready to advance all these things for the economic benefit of the people of East Texas,” he said.
The first phase of the expansion is completion of the new Naskila Casino which will feature 3,400 games and will be completed by fall 2028. The second phase will be construction of the resort, restaurants and a 1,000-person conference center.
The new temporary casino is open 24/7 and features 300 brand new games. There is also an eatery called Kano Grill, which means good in the Alabama-Coushatta language.
“Everybody’s just thrilled to have a new entertainment destination. We’re not trying to create gamblers. We’re trying to create jobs. We have up to 100 new jobs with the temporary casino open and once the 685,000-square-foot resort comes in, it will create 1,000 new jobs,” Johnson said.
Asked if the new casino will have table games, Johnson said, “That will be a hot topic when the legislature convenes in 2027.
“It’s troubling that our own governor doesn’t support what we’re doing. Our economic development does lots of great things for our community and our area. We’ve been friends and neighbors since before Texas was a state,” Johnson said, mentioning the role the tribe played in the Runaway Scrape.
“The monies that we generate go into supplemental programs – health service, a fulltime doctor and nurse, a diabetes program, a mental health program, a substance abuse program. Housing is much needed. It’s not unusual to find three generations living in one household,” he said.
Johnson reported on the hundreds of acres east of the reservation that the tribe purchased. Twelve new homes have been completed there and the tribe is presently working on 12 more that should be completed in 2027.
He also mentioned the tribe’s new House of Teachings that was completed last year. It houses the tribe’s education programs, Head Start and library.
“All the monies that we make go into these programs,” he said.
