FEAST ON FORTUNE
Turkey slots, Texas casinos & a dash of holiday luck
By Sean Chaffin
The holiday season is approaching and as the temperatures dip, slot fans will be looking to spin the reels with friends and family. This month’s column takes a look at the possibility of another slot option for players in Texas, the growth of the industry in Illinois, some big winners and more. With Thanksgiving on the horizon, you can also check out a few Turkey Day slots that may be worth giving a spin.
More Slots Heading to Texas
Efforts to legalize commercial casinos in Texas have been fruitless in recent years, but a new tribal casino may be in the works near Houston. The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas plans to build a new gaming venue in the town of Leggett, about 90 miles northeast of Texas’ largest city. The casino is planned for on property the tribe owns just south of the Alabama-Coushatta reservation near Livingston.
The tribe already runs the Naskila Casino near Livingston, offering only Class II slot-like gaming machines. The new casino follows a trend of tribes building casinos outside of their traditional lands. This will be the first casino on land away from a tribe’s reservation in Texas.
In September, Tribal Chairwoman Cecilia Flores told Polk County Commissioners that the project had already been approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission.
“We had made a petition to them about gaming on tribal properties outside the reservation in eastern Polk County,” she said. “The Leggett land is eligible for gaming, so we plan to develop our Naskila Casino Resort there. We’re very excited about it. It means a whole lot of new jobs, a lot of new opportunities for taxes, income, roads, the whole thing … so we look forward to it.”
The project is expected to generate 1,000 jobs and the group has already found an architecture firm to design the new casino. The tribe expects to break ground later this year.
Texas may not have commercial casinos, but does have two other tribal casinos. The Kickapoo Traditional Tribe operates the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino Hotel in Eagle Pass, near the border with Mexico. The Kickapoo are the only federally recognized tribe in the state, so the group can legally operate a full-scale casino. The Tigua tribe of the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo also operates the Speaking Rock Casino near El Paso, offering only Class II slot-style gaming.
The Tigua and Alabama-Coushatta faced years of legal challenges from the state before the Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that they could move forward with their casino plans. However, both can only offer gaming that is already legal in Texas, meaning bingo-based slot games.
$2 MILLION & COUNTING
Someone is eventually going to walk away with a massive score at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa. The property’s progressive jackpot on 28 Dragon Link slot machines has reached more than $2 million and continues climbing.
The jackpot is up for grabs on any of the multi-denomination machines from Aristocrat Gaming, with 22 of the machines in the high-limit area and six on the main casino floor. The progressive jackpot on the machines increases independently from other Dragon Link slots at the casino. The total is climbing at a rate of $4,600 or more per day and is on track to become one of the largest slot machine payouts in Seminole Gaming history. According to Aristocrat Gaming, $2.8 million is the current record for single-site linked progressive Dragon Link slot machines.
“Players have the potential to win big with this record-setting jackpot,” Hard Rock Tampa Vice President and Assistant General Manager Joseph Wagner said. “Dragon Link is a huge hit with our guests—and you can see why! This progressive slot continues to deliver unforgettable experiences.”
Since its launch at Seminole Hard Rock Tampa in July 2021, Dragon Link has remained a top draw for players and continues to rank among the most popular choices in the high-limit slot category.
HITTING THE ROAD WITH REWARDS POINTS
For nearly two years, a new Tesla sat unclaimed in Hard Rock Bet’s Reward Store. That changed last week when Emilio from Boca Raton, FL, traded in 4.9 million online Unity points and picked out a Tesla Model Y from a local dealership.
“I thought to myself, ‘Hey, I’m already making my wagers, placing my bets,’” the winner said. “This was just a great opportunity to turn that wagering into something that I could get back. And lo and behold, I committed to winning a car and it came true. So it’s real. It’s on [the Reward Store site]. It’s available for anybody. And I’m living proof that it can happen.”
Emilio accrued the millions of points through his combined play at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood, Coconut Creek and Hard Rock Bet before redeeming for his new set of wheels via the Hard Rock. The new car then turned into a surprise gift to his wife.
“We’re proud to offer real world rewards in our Reward Store, from concert tickets to merchandise to resort getaways, and of course a Tesla,” Hard Rock Digital Executive Managing Director and President Matt Primeaux said. “It’s all part of our unmatched rewards experience with Unity, allowing players to play and earn both in-person and online, and redeem valuable rewards at Hard Rock properties around the world. Congrats to Emilio and his wife, we hope it’s the first of many cars we give away.”
Slots Surge to No. 1 as Illinois Gambling Revenue Generator
The state of Illinois has become the latest indicator of just how popular slot machine play is in the U.S. For the first time in 18 years, the state’s lottery tax revenue was surpassed by slot machine revenue for the state. The Illinois Lottery saw $3.76 billion in sales during the fiscal year that ended July 31, with $789 million heading to state coffers.
However, that was topped by revenue of $871 million from slot machines located all over Illinois. This marked the first time since 2007 that the lottery didn’t account for the top gambling revenue pot. But the state’s lotto still remains the top lottery in the nation for the second straight year.
JACKPOT CENTRAL
VIDEO POKER BONANZA
A video poker player’s dream became reality on Oct. 11 at Hard Rock Atlantic City when four aces and a “kicker” fifth card resulted in a $100,000 weekend jackpot for a Pittsburgh man.
The lucky winner was playing IGT Game King Triple Triple Bonus Poker at a $25 denomination. The man wagered $125 and turned up four aces, plus a fifth kicker card that netted the six-figure payday.
Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer and senior writer for Casino Player and Strictly Slots magazines. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions or email him at seanchaffin@sbcglobal.net for story assignments.
