Louisiana Tribal Gaming

Louisiana first signed a Class III compact with the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in 1992. Since then, the Chitimacha and the Coushatta tribes have signed compacts.

In 2005, the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians announced plans to sue the state to force the negotiation of a Class III gaming compact, since Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) refused to negotiate. She and other politicians said they did not want any more casinos in the state.

The tribe had signed a compact with Blanco's predecessor, but it was rejected by the Bureau of Indian Affairs due to a high revenue-sharing rate that was interpreted as a tax on Indian gaming. In April 2007, after the tribe secured 63 acres of land from the Department of the Interior, it proceeded with plans for a Class II casino in Grant Parish, which would not require a compact with the state.

On 24 February 2013, the Jena Choctaw Pines Casino, Louisiana's fourth Native American casino, opened.

Tribal gaming revenue for Louisiana can be found in Casino City's Indian Gaming Industry Report by Dr. Alan Meister. This report can be ordered through Casino City Press at www.casinocitypress.com.