"As the state's large cities prospered in the 1990s and many small, remote Texas towns struggled, Eagle Pass � one of the most remote � found an economic advantage: gambling.

In 1996, the Kickapoo Lucky Eagle Casino opened and transformed the economic fortunes of a poor, isolated community 148 miles down a two-lane road from the nearest large city, San Antonio.

The casino now is the area's No. 1 tourist attraction, drawing 7,000 visitors a week. It is the county's second-largest employer, with 300 full-time jobs.

But a new state proposal would endanger the future of the modest casino and, with it, the economic lifeblood of a community, already one of the poorest in the state."

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Jose Aranda: Racetrack slots will hurt tribe (The Dallas Morning News 4/12)