Supreme Court won't hear Catawba gaming case

Tuesday, October 2, 2007  

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused the Catawba Nation's gaming case against the state of South Carolina.

Without comment, the justices let stand state Supreme Court decision that bars the tribe from operating video poker on its reservation. The tribe's only recourse is a change in federal or state law.

At issue was the tribe's land claim settlement act. At the time of passage in 1993, video poker was legal in South Carolina.

Subsequently, state voters amended the constitution to outlaw the game. So when the tribe proposed a video poker facility on the reservation, the state said it was illegal.

In briefs to the Supreme Court, the tribe argued that the state broke the land claim settlement by outlawing video poker.

Get the Story:
Tribe’s poker suit rejected (The State 10/2)
High court rejects tribe's poker appeal (AP 10/2)
Catawba Tribe Loses Supreme Court Poker Battle in South Carolina (Casino Gambling Web 10/2)