THACKERVILLE, Okla. (AP) — On an early autumn Saturday morning, dozens of Texans hop off a bus and file into the newest casino just across the state line.
They squint in the dimly lit rooms in WinStar Casinos, illuminated by colorful, glowing screens of video poker, blackjack games and slot machines.
While heading for the border is nothing new for Lone Star State gamblers, they're usually headed east to Louisiana.
"I hope we can win some today," said Richard Crider, who drove with his wife Carolyn to WinStar from Godley, Texas, south of Fort Worth. "They pay a little better in Shreveport than they do here, and you get a lot of comps, but this is so much closer."
The new 110,000-square-foot building on Interstate 35, about two miles north of the Texas border, beckons gamblers with 1,100 machines, off-track betting and a 900-seat bingo hall.
The Chickasaw Nation casino, which opened in July and had its official grand opening in mid-September, has had scores of Texas visitors. Ten chartered buses arrive each Saturday and Sunday, some from as far away as Laredo in South Texas.
Officials at the casino, about an hour's drive from Fort Worth and Dallas, say between 60 percent and 70 percent of the 368,000 visitors are from Texas.
Texas' only legal casino is in Eagle Pass, about 120 miles southwest of San Antonio. The Lucky Eagle casino is operated by the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas and offers blackjack, poker, about 340 pull-tab slots and bingo.
Texas lawmakers have rejected efforts to allow wagering at the state's two other reservations, the Tiguas in El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta near Livingston. Kickapoos have federal tribal status that allows gambling, while the other tribes have more restrictive state charters.
This year, Texas lawmakers introduced several bills to allow video poker and other electronic gambling at horse and dog racetracks. But lawmakers failed to approve the gambling measures because of strong opposition from Republican leadership.
Republican State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn had recommended that the games be legalized to raise money to bridge the state budget shortfall.
Last month, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled that the Legislature may not authorize video gambling. He said the state Constitution would need amending to legalize it, and that would require voter approval.
That means gambling won't be prevalent in Texas anytime soon — which is good news for casinos in border states.
Texans have been flocking for years to Shreveport and Bossier City in Louisiana, which have five casinos and several multi-story hotels and golf courses.
Officials in that area, about a three-and-a-half-hour drive east of Dallas, say the Louisiana casinos are not worried about losing Texas customers to the WinStar.
"They've built up a pretty loyal clientele," said David Berzina, senior vice president of economic development at the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce.
The Chickasaw Nation, which operates several casinos in Oklahoma, had run a small bingo hall in Thackerville since 1991. The tribe decided to build a casino on the 220 acres to increase profits. Hotels, a golf course, bowling alley and movie theater are also planned.
"We are excited about the profits that are generated and about how this money will be used to support our tribal citizens programs and services," said David Hatton, the tribe's Division of Commerce administrator. "Our overall goal is to enhance the quality of life for the Chickasaw people."
WinStar has a mariachi-themed casino room, and another room filled with lifesize statues of elephants, lions, tigers and other animals.
The machines don't take or spit out coins. Instead, plastic cards keep track of how much money is spent or won at each machine, and players convert the cards to cash when they leave.
Oklahoma law prohibits poker, and blackjack can be played tournament-style only, Hatton said. That means WinStar cannot offer poker or blackjack tables.
"I prefer tables to slot machines," said Refugio Sanchez, who drove to the casino from Dallas with friends. "I probably won't come back until they put in blackjack tables."
WinStar is open 9 a.m. to 6 a.m. but eventually plans to be open 24 hours. In keeping with the Chickasaw policy in its casinos, no alcohol is served in the four restaurants. It also has a 600-seat theater for Las Vegas-type entertainment shows.
The casino already is providing an economic boost for Gainesville, Texas, about five miles to the south. The outlet mall, hotels, restaurants and convenience stores have seen more business.
"This is a great marketing opportunity for us," said Dana Herr, president of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's very exciting."
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1065892441101920.xml
They squint in the dimly lit rooms in WinStar Casinos, illuminated by colorful, glowing screens of video poker, blackjack games and slot machines.
While heading for the border is nothing new for Lone Star State gamblers, they're usually headed east to Louisiana.
"I hope we can win some today," said Richard Crider, who drove with his wife Carolyn to WinStar from Godley, Texas, south of Fort Worth. "They pay a little better in Shreveport than they do here, and you get a lot of comps, but this is so much closer."
The new 110,000-square-foot building on Interstate 35, about two miles north of the Texas border, beckons gamblers with 1,100 machines, off-track betting and a 900-seat bingo hall.
The Chickasaw Nation casino, which opened in July and had its official grand opening in mid-September, has had scores of Texas visitors. Ten chartered buses arrive each Saturday and Sunday, some from as far away as Laredo in South Texas.
Officials at the casino, about an hour's drive from Fort Worth and Dallas, say between 60 percent and 70 percent of the 368,000 visitors are from Texas.
Texas' only legal casino is in Eagle Pass, about 120 miles southwest of San Antonio. The Lucky Eagle casino is operated by the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas and offers blackjack, poker, about 340 pull-tab slots and bingo.
Texas lawmakers have rejected efforts to allow wagering at the state's two other reservations, the Tiguas in El Paso and the Alabama-Coushatta near Livingston. Kickapoos have federal tribal status that allows gambling, while the other tribes have more restrictive state charters.
This year, Texas lawmakers introduced several bills to allow video poker and other electronic gambling at horse and dog racetracks. But lawmakers failed to approve the gambling measures because of strong opposition from Republican leadership.
Republican State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn had recommended that the games be legalized to raise money to bridge the state budget shortfall.
Last month, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott ruled that the Legislature may not authorize video gambling. He said the state Constitution would need amending to legalize it, and that would require voter approval.
That means gambling won't be prevalent in Texas anytime soon — which is good news for casinos in border states.
Texans have been flocking for years to Shreveport and Bossier City in Louisiana, which have five casinos and several multi-story hotels and golf courses.
Officials in that area, about a three-and-a-half-hour drive east of Dallas, say the Louisiana casinos are not worried about losing Texas customers to the WinStar.
"They've built up a pretty loyal clientele," said David Berzina, senior vice president of economic development at the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce.
The Chickasaw Nation, which operates several casinos in Oklahoma, had run a small bingo hall in Thackerville since 1991. The tribe decided to build a casino on the 220 acres to increase profits. Hotels, a golf course, bowling alley and movie theater are also planned.
"We are excited about the profits that are generated and about how this money will be used to support our tribal citizens programs and services," said David Hatton, the tribe's Division of Commerce administrator. "Our overall goal is to enhance the quality of life for the Chickasaw people."
WinStar has a mariachi-themed casino room, and another room filled with lifesize statues of elephants, lions, tigers and other animals.
The machines don't take or spit out coins. Instead, plastic cards keep track of how much money is spent or won at each machine, and players convert the cards to cash when they leave.
Oklahoma law prohibits poker, and blackjack can be played tournament-style only, Hatton said. That means WinStar cannot offer poker or blackjack tables.
"I prefer tables to slot machines," said Refugio Sanchez, who drove to the casino from Dallas with friends. "I probably won't come back until they put in blackjack tables."
WinStar is open 9 a.m. to 6 a.m. but eventually plans to be open 24 hours. In keeping with the Chickasaw policy in its casinos, no alcohol is served in the four restaurants. It also has a 600-seat theater for Las Vegas-type entertainment shows.
The casino already is providing an economic boost for Gainesville, Texas, about five miles to the south. The outlet mall, hotels, restaurants and convenience stores have seen more business.
"This is a great marketing opportunity for us," said Dana Herr, president of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. "It's very exciting."
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1065892441101920.xml
