Artist's rendering of proposed Catawba Nation casino in North Carolina. Image from Catawba Nation Project Brief
The Catawba Nation is in a unique situation with its proposed gaming project in North Carolina. The tribe isn't the first to seek a casino in another state. The Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma opened a casino in Kansas after defending its rights successfully in federal court. But the Catawbas are barred from following the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act under the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act. However, the restriction in Section 941l appears in context with gaming activities in South Carolina and the tribe was told to follow that state's gaming laws instead. As a result, the proposed casino in North Carolina “would not be subject to those restrictions imposed by the Catawba Settlement Act that only reference South Carolina," two former Congressional staffers wrote in a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs that accompanied the tribe's land-into-trust application, The Carolina Journal News reported. Additionally, the settlement act includes Cleveland County in North Carolina in the tribe's service area. So the land-into-trust application should be approved automatically, the tribe argues. The tribe wants to open a $600 million gaming and entertainment facility on the 16-acre site in the county. Get the Story:
Catawbas’ Bid For Off-Reservation Casino Has Precedent (The Carolina Journal News 1/13)
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