Tiguas have new hope gaming could return to Speaking Rock

A huge development has occurred in the Tigua tribe’s longtime court case that could clear the way for class two gaming to return to Speaking Rock as early as next year.

According to the tribe, the U.S. Department of the Interior has confirmed gaming operations must be regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Speaking Rock was a full-blown casino at one point before the Tiguas were sued 20 years ago by the Texas attorney general.

Since then they’ve operated only class one sweepstakes games and hosted a lot of concerts on their property, going from about 1,200 employees to 500.

But this latest confirmation that gaming operations here must be regulated by the National Indian Gaming Commission is expected to clear the way, with Judge Kathleen Cardone’s approval, for class two gaming or “Indian bingo” at Speaking Rock.

Tigua Gov. Carlos Hisa said that would give the Tiguas parity with all the other tribes in the country, including the Kickapoo in Texas, which has always had Indian bingo games.

In the past, U.S. District Court in El Paso has decided what types of entertainment operations can be offered.

But with Cardone’s approval, that would clear the way for the Department of the Interior to take over regulatory duties and end the lawsuit.

“What I know it’s going to do for us as a tribal council is be able to plan for the community … we’re elected officials and we represent the people of Ysleta del Sur Peublo. With this we will be able to plan ahead. We’ve been operating on a day-by-day case because we just don’t know what’s going to come down. The judge at any time could have shut us down so we were very careful on the decisions we made,” Hisa said.

Hisa added that Speaking Rock is currently operating at about 25 percent of its revenues from its glory days in the 1990s.

If Indian bingo is allowed, Hisa said that number will jump to 85 percent – which could mean as many 700 new jobs.