More casinos in Texas - the gambling bill a no-go
In the early hours of this
morning, the Texas gambling bill, which would have allowed more Indian
casinos, was voted off by the legislature.
In a rare tie, 66-66, the
Texas House did not pass the bill during its last day of
legislative session. A tie vote is a failure in the legislature.
Under this gambling bill, the
Alabama-Coushatta tribe would have the right to open a casino on
their land, and the Tigua tribe would have been allowed to
re-open their casino, which was shut down by the Texas Attorney
General in 2002, under a new then law banning casinos throughout
the state. The casino, called Speaking Rock, used to generate
over $60 million per year in revenue, before its closure.
During the session, some
legislators labeled the tribes as gambling addicts and said they
should find other ways to raise money.
Representatives for the Indian
tribes admitted they were surprised by the tie vote on the
gambling bill, but assured everyone that they will continue
their fight to be given the right to operate casinos in the
state of Texas.
05/04/2007
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