Kickapoo Tribe condemns Texas illegal lottery couriers

The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas has taken offense at the spread of online lottery services in the state, claiming that it amounts to illegal gambling expansion. The tribe is also curious about the legislature's plans to address this issue.

On its reservation in Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande, the tribe owns and runs the Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel, a class II gaming establishment that features poker and electronic bingo machines.

 

[Mi Rey]

The Kickapoo Tribe of Texas has expressed strong disapproval of certain lottery courier services operating in Texas, viewing them as illegal and as a gateway to a broader gambling expansion. These services allow players to purchase Texas Lottery tickets online, which the Kickapoo argue constitutes illegal online gambling. They fear this is a loophole around Texas’s existing restrictions on internet gambling, potentially leading to a gambling surge that could undermine their own gaming operations.

The tribe's primary concern revolves around the state's ambiguous oversight of these couriers, which they claim either operate illegally as sales agents or work outside the Texas Lottery Commission's jurisdiction. The Kickapoo Tribe has warned that unless the state restricts these activities, they may seek permission for full-scale casino operations, pushing beyond the current bingo-based games allowed under federal regulations. This could transform gambling dynamics in Texas significantly, leading to a clash with local and state regulations.

 

[gwolf666]

The Kickapoo Tribe raises an important point about the expansion of online lottery services in Texas. If these services are operating outside the framework of existing gambling laws, the tribe’s concerns about unfair competition are valid. The Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel plays by the rules as a class II gaming facility, and it’s understandable that they would want clarity on how online lottery services fit into the legal landscape. It will be interesting to see if the legislature addresses this or if the issue escalates further.