The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas has broken ground on the Naskila Casino Resort, a major gaming and hospitality development in Deep East Texas that leaders say will bring jobs, tourism and lasting opportunity to the region.
Key takeaways
- The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe broke ground on the Naskila Casino Resort in Leggett, Polk County.
- Plans include around 3,400 gaming machines and a 366-room hotel, with a target opening in late 2028.
- Naskila already delivers some $251 million in annual economic impact and over 1,000 jobs.
A major step for the tribe
Tribal representatives, local officials, casino staff and community members gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the start of construction. The resort will rise on roughly 95 acres of tribal land in Leggett, about nine miles north of Livingston along U.S. Highway 59, and represents a significant expansion beyond the tribe's existing reservation site between Livingston and Woodville.
Leaders expect the property to draw visitors from across Texas, including the Houston metro area some 85 miles to the south. If everything stays on schedule, the resort is set to open in late 2028 — and it arrives as Naskila Casino marks its tenth anniversary, having operated Class II electronic bingo gaming since 2016 and grown into one of the area's largest employers.
What's planned
- Gaming: ~3,400 machines, with dedicated smoking and non-smoking areas
- Hotel: 366 rooms plus a resort-style swimming pool
- Dining & leisure: restaurants, bars and entertainment venues
- Business: conference facilities and an event center
- Identity: design elements reflecting Alabama-Coushatta heritage
- Opening: targeted for late 2028
Tribal officials describe it as one of the largest hospitality projects planned for the region in recent years, expecting it to lift visitor numbers across Polk County and the surrounding communities while creating new jobs.
Leaders look to the future
Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Chairman Ricky Sylestine framed the groundbreaking as the payoff for years of planning and perseverance.
"It's a long time coming really, it's something that's needed. We started out from nothing, now to where we are today — just because of the gaming aspect of it, we've really been blessed at this point,"
Sylestine said, adding that the project is "for our kids, this is for their kids, their kids' kids."
Vice-Chairperson Nita Battise said the moment was also a tribute to the leaders who came before.
"I actually thought about past tribal members, our past Minkos, our chiefs, who were instrumental in getting this done who are no longer with us. So their dream is becoming reality, and this reality will move forward,"
Second Chief Herbert Johnson added a note of identity and permanence: "As Alabama-Coushatta people… we are here, we've been here in East Texas, and we'll forever be your friend."
Economic impact and what comes next
According to tribal officials, Naskila Casino already generates around $251 million in annual economic impact and has created more than 1,000 permanent jobs since opening, making it the second-largest employer in Polk County. Gaming revenue has helped fund housing, scholarships and other community programs — including 13 homes built for tribal members, with more residential development planned.
The tribe is also expanding before the resort opens. A temporary casino on reservation land, due to open in summer 2026, will run around the clock with 300 electronic bingo machines, a 24-hour deli, a players club and roughly 300 parking spaces — a venue Chairman Sylestine has said should add 110 jobs. The tribe additionally runs the Ischoopa Travel Center on U.S. Highway 190, offering fuel, retail, food and gaming.
The path here was not simple. Keith Sherrer, Naskila's interim general manager and COO, recalled the early legal battles: "When we opened the original casino, the state of Texas filed a lawsuit and tried to shut us down. It was roughly a five-year legal fight." The new resort, he said, will be "a much more grand experience, a much more refined experience," while keeping "the same fun games that people have become accustomed to playing."
The bottom line
After a decade of Class II bingo and a hard-fought legal history, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe is betting big on a full-scale resort. If Naskila Casino Resort opens on schedule in 2028, it could reshape the tourism and jobs picture across Deep East Texas — and stands as a milestone the tribe has been working toward for generations.
