New Act Grants Two Texas Tribes Equal Gaming Regulation, Ends Confusing Legal Loophole

The Tribal Gaming Regulatory Compliance Act is about regulatory cleanup, specifically for two Indian Tribes in Texas: the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and the Alabama-Coushatta. The bill’s main goal is to ensure that these two Tribes are regulated exactly the same way as every other federally recognized Tribe running gaming operations in the United States. It does this by making sure the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) applies fully to their lands, removing a confusing and outdated legal distinction that has existed since a 2022 Supreme Court ruling.

The Texas Two-Step: Why Regulation Got Weird

To understand why this bill matters, you have to rewind a bit. Back in the late 1980s, the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) established how Tribes could run casinos and other gaming operations, linking their ability to offer certain games to what the surrounding state allowed. This framework has worked for over 200 Tribes. However, a 2022 Supreme Court ruling created a unique hiccup for the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and the Alabama-Coushatta Tribes in Texas, essentially leaving them in a regulatory gray zone where their gaming rules were a confusing mix of their original Restoration Act and the broader IGRA. This meant they were operating under rules that were different—and arguably more complicated—than every other Tribe.

Clearing the Regulatory Fog

This new Act cuts through that fog by amending the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama and Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act (Section 3). It explicitly adds a new rule of construction making it crystal clear that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act applies “fully and completely” to any gaming activities on the lands of these two Tribes. Think of it as hitting the 'reset' button so they are playing by the same rulebook as everyone else. For the Tribes, this means legal certainty and predictability in their economic operations, which is crucial for jobs and funding essential services.

Removing the Old Blueprint

The bill also cleans house by striking out two specific sections—Section 107 and Section 207—from the original Restoration Act. These sections were part of the old, restrictive framework that made their regulation unique and confusing. By removing them, the legislation eliminates the statutory language that created the regulatory overlap in the first place, ensuring that the Tribes’ gaming activities are governed solely by the standard federal framework (IGRA). This isn't just bureaucratic tidiness; it’s about establishing regulatory parity and ending a situation where two Tribes were treated differently than their counterparts nationwide.