Business owners support Catawba Nation off-reservation casino


Artist's rendering of proposed Catawba Nation casino in North Carolina. Image from Catawba Nation Project Brief

Businesses in a North Carolina community are supporting the Catawba Nation off-reservation in hopes of countering opposition from churches in the area.

The tribe wants to build a $600 million casino in the city of Kings Mountain in Cleveland County. Both the city and the county support the project, which business owners believe will help boost the local economy.

“If people go there to gamble, they’ll do that and go home," Suzy Beard, the owner of a gift shop, told The Kings Mountain Herald. "But I think it’s good for growth. It will definitely bring jobs. And the people earning money from those jobs will shop downtown.”

The tribe submitted the land-into-trust application for the 16-acre site in September 2013. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has yet to announce a decision.

The tribe is primarily based in South Carolina. But the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act defines a service area for the tribe in North Carolina and South Carolina.

The proposed gaming site falls within the service area in North Carolina. The law requires the BIA to place up to 3,600 acres in trust for the tribe's reservation.

Get the Story:
Business owners rally behind casino idea (The Kings Mountain Herald 2/25)

An Opinion:
Beauford Burton: Lingering questions remain regarding casino (The Gaston Gazette 2/20)

Related Stories
Federal review of Catawba Nation off-reservation drags along (02/09)
Pastors continue to rally opposition to Catawba Nation casino (2/5)

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