Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas Launches Construction on Expanded Naskila Casino Resort
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas held its groundbreaking ceremony on June 18, 2026 for the new Naskila Casino Resort, a 685,000-square-foot full-scale resort casino that will occupy 95 acres in Leggett within Polk County, and this event signals the next phase of tribal gaming development in the region while the existing Naskila Casino maintains continuous operations throughout the build process.
Ceremony Details and Tribal Leadership
Tribal officials gathered at the site to mark the start of construction on a project that includes 3,400 Class II electronic gaming machines along with a 366-room hotel, pool complex, multiple restaurants and dedicated event space, while speakers highlighted the long-term economic role such facilities play for the Alabama-Coushatta community and surrounding areas in east Texas.
Scale of the Planned Resort
The resort will span 685,000 square feet on its 95-acre footprint and will introduce layered amenities that extend beyond gaming alone, incorporating lodging, dining and recreational features designed to serve both local visitors and travelers passing through Polk County, and developers have structured the rollout so that portions of the complex become available in successive phases extending through 2028.
Continued Operation of Existing Facility
Construction crews will work around the operational existing Naskila Casino, which will remain open without interruption so that current gaming activity and employment levels stay stable while teh larger resort rises nearby, and project managers have coordinated site logistics to separate active guest areas from active building zones throughout the multi-year timeline.
Legal Foundation from 2023 Supreme Court Decision
The initiative follows the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that clarified tribal gaming rights in Texas, giving the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe clearer authority to advance full-scale casino development on its lands, and observers note that this judicial outcome directly enabled the current expansion plan after years of regulatory uncertainty.
Phased Opening Schedule Through 2028
Officials have outlined a phased opening sequence that will bring individual elements of the resort online progressively rather than all at once, allowing the tribe to manage construction, staffing and regulatory approvals in stages, while the full complement of 3,400 gaming machines, hotel rooms and supporting venues reaches completion by the end of 2028.
Regional Context and Economic Footprint
Polk County stands to gain from the added infrastructure and visitor traffic that a 366-room hotel and accompanying restaurants and event facilities are expected to generate, and studies from the National Indian Gaming Commission have tracked similar tribal projects across the country that produced measurable increases in local employment and tax contributions once new resorts reached full operation.
Integration with Broader Tribal Initiatives
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe has positioned the Naskila Casino Resort as one component within a wider portfolio of economic and community programs, using gaming revenue to support education, health services and cultural preservation efforts that extend beyond the casino floor itself, and the current construction timeline aligns with long-range planning documents the tribe has maintained since the earlier Supreme Court clarification.
Conclusion
With the June 18, 2026 groundbreaking now complete, the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe moves forward on a project whose physical scale and phased delivery distinguish it from prior tribal gaming efforts in Texas, and the combination of continued operations at the existing casino plus the measured rollout of the new 685,000-square-foot resort through 2028 provides a clear roadmap for the coming years, according to information released by the tribe and corroborated in coverage from industry tracking sources.