The Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino in Eagle Pass is not only one of the bigger casino resort offerings in the state, it is also the only one that legally offers poker.
That makes the Lucky Eagle one of the few destination resorts in Texas with a semi-full suite of casino offerings. While the electronic bingo machines are not strictly speaking slot machines and the poker room does not fully make up for lack of table games, the casino is still a solid gaming option in Texas.
If you’re thinking about checking out Lucky Eagle, PlayTexas has everything you need to know.
History of Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino
There are three Texas tribal casinos, all run by Native American tribes. Two are Class II gaming entities, including the Lucky Eagle, which means they do not offer traditional slot machines nor table games.
The Kickapoo Tribe in Texas were not in a good place prior to opening the Lucky Eagle. Much of the tribe lived below the International Bridge in Eagle Pass when they were not on a reservation in Mexico.
Once the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (IGRA) went into effect, the tribe began work on the Lucky Eagle Casino on its reservation, which sat just outside of Eagle Pass. The casino opened in 1996 in mobile buildings with just about 60 employees.
Now, that workforce has grown beyond 700 people, and the Lucky Eagle has become a popular casino in the gambling-starved state of Texas. Since opening, the Lucky Eagle has been renovated twice – once in 2004 and again in 2013. The current gaming floor spans 117,000 square feet and the resort features a 250-room hotel.
The resort has been so successful, it has lifted the tribe out of poverty. The tribe has been able to build a lot of homes on its reservation, which now looks like a middle-class suburb. It’s a far cry from living under a bridge.
The casino also supplies jobs, health care and money for other projects. Those projects include everything from a convenience store to the Kickapoo Wellness Center. Additionally, a rehabilitation facility, New Hope, Healing Grounds, has been built, along with education facilities and a day care center.
What games are available to play at Lucky Eagle?
Tribes recognized under the IGRA can offer Class I or Class II games, meaning the games are not backed by the house. To offer true slot machines and table games, a tribe must enter into a gaming compact with the state.
Because of that, Lucky Eagle has electronic bingo machines. There’s really little difference between slot machines and eBingo machines. The latter includes a bingo card on the machine that shows the result of a spin on the card. Machines are played exactly like playing a slot machine. There are over 3,300 eBingo machines at Lucky Eagle.
What makes Lucky Eagle unique is the addition of a poker room. It is the only technically legal poker room in The Lone Star State with about a dozen tables. There are no-limit and limit Texas Hold’em games available to play.
Lastly, there is a bingo hall open five days a week. There are two afternoon sessions and two evening sessions.
Enjoy Lucky Eagle’s dining and entertainment options
There are several dining options at the Lucky Eagle, including four restaurants, a food court and three bars. Lucky Eagle General manager Christopher McClain told Casino Update that having food and beverage options is one of the keys to growing.
“We got some nice restaurants to bring people in, and I think it is more enticing when you try to create that resort experience without the resort amenities. Hopefully, eventually, one day we will have those resort amenities, but for the time being, we are trying to make the most of what we got. We are creating a higher-level experience for our players and our guests.”
The Red Sky Grill features American traditional food with beer, wine and other drink options. There is also an IHOP for breakfast. The Riverbend Café is open 24 hours most days and serves everything from breakfast to sandwiches and grab-and-go snacks. It’s only closed between 2 and 7 a.m. on Thursday mornings.
No casino resort is complete without a food court. Lucky Eagle has one that features a Freddy’s Steakburgers, Grande Pizza Co., Eagle Eats and a Wok Inn Asian Café.
For a finer dining option, Lucky Eagle has Azul, which has a wide range of food options but specializes in steaks. It also features live music. For more entertainment options, the Que Pasa Lounge is available.
There are three other bars. The High Limit Bar, which is adjacent to the high-limit gaming area, Center Bar, which is located in the center of the casino as the name implies, and the Daiquiri Bar.
McClain hopes having these amenities available will bring in guests.
“We just continue to reposition the property and try to attract a high-worth guest. Create a higher-level experience. F(ood) and B(everages). People come to a casino, they expect to lose money, but they do not expect to eat a bad meal. So trying to make sure we take care of them with quality food products, quality service and consistency.”
Lucky Eagle is hours away from major Texas cities
Lucky Eagle sits at 794 Lucky Eagle Drive in Eagle Pass. It is no further than six and a half hours from any major city in Texas and as close as two and a half hours from San Antonio by car.
- Austin: 228 miles, three hours and 36 minutes away
- Dallas: 422 miles, six hours and 15 minutes away
- Fort Worth: 417 miles, six hours and 10 minutes away
- Houston: 343 miles, five hours and eight minutes away
- San Antonio: 149 miles, two hours and 28 minutes away
There is an RV lot available that is within walking distance of the casino. The RV park is full service with 20 spots available to reserve. Parking at the RV park is $25 a day Sunday-Thursday and $40 Fridays and Saturdays. There are also weekly options that begin at $205.
To get in contact with Lucky Eagle, call (888) 255-8259. There is also a contact page on its website for any additional information guests are searching for.
Lucky Eagle can also be found on social media. On Instagram or X, its handle is @LuckyEagleTexas.
