Naskila Casino continues to deliver a profound economic and employment benefit to Polk County and East Texas, according to a new report commissioned by the Texas Forest Country Partnership.
The study by the economic analysis firm TXP found that Naskila Casino — the electronic bingo facility run by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas on its Reservation near Livingston — delivers an annual economic impact of $251.7 million. A similar study released in 2023 found that Naskila Casino’s annual economic impact at the time was $212 million.
Naskila Casino, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is the second-largest employer in Polk County. More than 1,000 permanent local jobs (collectively paying $34.5 million in annual wages) are attributable to the operational impact of Naskila Casino. The facility accounts for more than 15 percent of the private sector wages paid in Polk County, the new study found.
“Naskila Casino creates jobs, attracts visitors, and generates significant revenue for our region,” said Tanya Dora, Executive Director of the Texas Forest Country Partnership, an economic development organization serving the 12-county region of Deep East Texas. “All of us who care about economic development in Deep East Texas are grateful for the success of Naskila Casino and the partnership of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas.”
This is the fourth report that the Texas Forest Country Partnership has commissioned to study the casino’s impact. The revenue generated by Naskila Casino has increased steadily since the original study showed an annual economic impact of $140 million in 2018.
The latest report, which studies revenue generated in 2024, also notes that:
- Naskila has about 431 total employees, the vast majority of whom live in Polk County. When benefits are included, the average employee compensation approaches $50,000 per year.
- About 570 local jobs beyond those on-site depend on the operational presence of Naskila Casino and its ability to bring dollars to Polk County.
- Naskila procures tens of millions of dollars’ worth of goods and services annually to support its operations, more than $8 million of which goes to vendors in Polk County.
“When the fact that more than 94 percent of Nakila’s customers come from outside of Polk County is factored in, it is clear that Naskila is an economic engine that benefits every stakeholder in the region,” the report states.
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas opened Naskila Casino in the summer of 2016 with 365 Class II electronic bingo machines. In August 2017, Naskila doubled in size. The facility now features more than 950 Class II electronic bingo machines, an 88-seat restaurant, a café, and retail offerings. Meanwhile, the Tribe’s newly renovated Ischoopa Travel Center reopened in December 2024 with 81 gaming machines.
Beyond the benefits to those directly employed, revenues from Naskila provide funding on the Reservation for scholarships, housing, a health clinic, day care center, and retail shops that serve the Tribe and the surrounding community.
“Our Tribe is proud of Naskila Casino’s growth and the widespread benefit it creates for our neighbors in Deep East Texas,” said Cecilia Flores, Chairwoman of the Tribe’s Tribal Council. “Our great employees and guests have made Naskila Casino a true success story over the past decade.”