The Texas Attorney General's Office sued the Tiguas on Sept. 27, 1999, accusing the tribe of violating the state's gambling laws by operating Speaking Rock Casino. The casino opened in November 1993.

The Tiguas contend that the existence of the state's lottery, which Texas voters approved with a constitutional amendment in 1991, makes it legal for them to offer their own games of chance.
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In 1987, the Tiguas agreed not to engage in any gaming activity on their reservation that the state of Texas prohibited when they signed a resolution leading to tribal recognition by the federal government, Cornyn said.

The 1987 Restoration Act brought federal tribal status to the Tiguas, but it also allows the state of Texas to sue if the tribe violates the agreement.
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Tigua lawyer Norman Gordon argued last month that the state penal code does not specifically refer to Indian tribes, thus exempting them from criminal statutes.

He also said the tribe, as a sovereign nation, was having its rights infringed on by the United States.