Artist's rendering of proposed Catawba Nation casino in North Carolina. Image from Catawba Nation Project Brief
The Catawba Nation of South Carolina can open a casino in North Carolina without state approval, a lawyer for the tribe said. The tribe filed a land-into-trust application for 16 acres in Cleveland County. If the Bureau of Indian Affairs approves the acquisition, attorney Gregory Smith said gaming can occur at the site without a Class III compact. "Whether they have a compact or not, they will go forward with gaming,” Smith told The Charlotte Observer. The tribe reached a land claim settlement in 1993. The law bars the tribe from following the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act but it allows gaming under South Carolina law. The settlement doesn't appear to say anything about North Carolina law. But the tribe is arguing that it is entitled to the same types of gaming that are already legal in that state. Get the Story:
Catawba tribe says state support not needed for casino project (The Charlotte Observer 9/29) Related Stories:
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