Paragon Casino-Report
Indian Gaming
by Mark Van Norman

In 1994, the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana began to positively change the economic life of its members, as well as that of the rural community of Avoyelles Parish. As owners of the Paragon Casino-Resort, the Tribe is responsible for attracting more than 2.2 million visitors per year to Central Louisiana. The Tribe continues to live by the motto, “Cherishing our Past, Building for our Future.”

History of the Tunica-BiloxiThe Tunica-Biloxi Indians are descendents of the ancient Mound People and are the combination of two tribes, the Tunica and the Biloxi. The tribes united for political reasons in the 1920s in their quest for federal recognition in the 1930s. After fifty years of struggle, they were recognized in 1982. The Tribe of over 850 members currently shares acreage in the heart of Louisiana’s Mississippi River delta.

Another prolonged struggle was the tribe’s effort to recover the Tunica Treasure, priceless objects pilfered from Tunica ancestral gravesites. This struggle laid the foundation for one of the most important American legislative victories of the 20th century, the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The recovery of the Tunica Treasure signaled Tunica-Biloxi’s reemergence as a financially independent and culturally strong people.

Paragon Casino-ResortAttractions & Entertainment: Located in Marksville, Louisiana and thirty-five miles northeast of Alexandria on Hwy. 1, the casino is one of Louisiana’s largest full-service land-based casinos, offering over 2,100 slot machines, forty-seven gaming tables and a grand poker room. There is free admission into the casino, free parking, valet service, and complimentary drinks.

The Tunica-Biloxi Museum houses a spectacular collection of Indian and European historical objects from the Colonial period and the first full-scale artifact conservation laboratory and training facility in Indian country. The Casino provides free transportation to the Museum. Hours of operation are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., seven days per week. Guided tours are provided with admission charges of $2 for adults and $1 for children. Telephone: 800-488-6674; Web: www.tunica.org.

Amenities include a supervised childcare center, grand arcade for teens and adults, an events center for concerts, sporting events, and meeting/conference accommodations. Non-smoking gaming areas are available. Tamahka Trails offers an eighteen-hole golf course, pro shop, clubhouse, driving range and golf packages. For more information call 318-240-8033.

Lodging & Food: The Grand Hotel Avoyelles is conveniently located adjoining the casino with 218 rooms, twelve executive suites, a presidential suite, and outdoor pool & spa. In addition a state-of-the-art conference center offers nearly 14,000 square feet of meeting space. You can dine in four restaurants that offer burgers, po’boys, old fashioned blue plate specials, a variety of international & American cuisines, seafood, steaks, chicken, pasta, and an oyster bar that supplies the freshest seafood. The RV Resort is within walking distance to the casino and shuttle service is available. Featuring 280 drive-through pads with full hook-ups including 20-, 30- and 50-amp hook-ups, cable TV hook-ups, twenty furnished chalets, lodge, horseshoe pit, well-stocked convenience store, swimming pool, and laundry and shower facilities. For hotel reservations call 800-642-7777.

The Tunica-Biloxi are Good NeighborsThe Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana is a vital component of the Central Louisiana community. The Office of Family Support in Avoyelles Parish estimates that since the June 1994 opening of the casino, enrollment in public assistance programs in the parish has decreased by 25 percent. Paragon Casino-Resort directly employs about 1,500 people, 95 percent non-Indian. Furthermore, the Paragon Casino-Resort purchases over $19 million worth of goods and services annually from local Louisiana vendors.

The Tunica-Biloxi Tribe has set up numerous donation programs such as the Paragon Casino-Resort Donation program that supports non-profit organizations that focus on human service activities, educational activities, and community activities, for “those who need help the most and are the least able to help themselves.” In 2001, the Tunica-Biloxi donated nearly $170,000 to local non-profit groups and another $60,000 in sponsorship of local activities and events.

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