Local Law Makers Want Speaking Rock Back As Casino
January 5, 2009
"All of us have long supported Speaking Rock, you have an $800 million gaming industry that used to be in the valley of El Paso,” Sen. Eliot Shapleigh said.
Written by Derek Shore, KFOX
EL PASO, Texas -- Local lawmakers announced Monday that they would be making it a priority this legislative session to pass bills to allow Indian casinos, like Speaking Rock Casino, to resume gaming operations in Texas.
Josie Trillo is like thousands of others who loved coming out to the Speaking Rock Casino.
"It was a lot of fun, we all used to come, my mom, my aunt and my husband,” Trillo said. “Now that it’s closed, we still come, but the good old days were the best."
The Tigua Indian casino was opened in 1993 and closed in 2001 after a lawsuit found that the casino violated state anti-gambling laws.
During the time it was open, it brought in around a half a billion dollars in revenue, but today that income has all but disappeared.
"It's been hectic financially, for our elders, assistance for our people, there's a lot of stuff involved with that type of money that we pretty much had to cut," Gov. Frank Paiz, of the Tigua tribe, said.
Local lawmakers announced at a press conference Monday that they would do everything they can to turn Speaking Rock back into an actual casino.
"All of us have long supported Speaking Rock, you have an $800 million gaming industry that used to be in the valley of El Paso,” Sen. Eliot Shapleigh said.
Because the money made, he says, doesn't just go to the Tigua tribe, it goes to El Paso.
"When you look at the tourist dollars that come spend money at the Tigua casino, when you look at the entertainment dollars, the eating dollars they turn over in the community, it’s a lot," Shapleigh said.
Dollars that will benefit El Pasoans, he said.
"I hope they do open it, especially for the senior citizens and the young people," Trillo said.
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