{"id":9420,"date":"2021-03-25T12:34:44","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T16:34:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=9420"},"modified":"2021-04-08T10:32:36","modified_gmt":"2021-04-08T14:32:36","slug":"catawba-nation-hails-great-news-for-long-awaited-gaming-facility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/03\/25\/catawba-nation-hails-great-news-for-long-awaited-gaming-facility\/","title":{"rendered":"Catawba Nation hails &#8216;great news&#8217; for long-awaited gaming facility"},"content":{"rendered":"<img decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/IndianGaming\/2020\/09\/01\/twokingscasinoresort.jpg\" class=\"img-fluid wow fadeIn\"><\/img>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Chief Bill Harris of the Catawba Nation announces the name of the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort  at a private event in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, on August 28, 2020. Photo by The Catawba Nation\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h3-responsive font-weight-bold\">Catawba Nation hails &#8216;great news&#8217; for long-awaited gaming facility<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Thursday, March 25, 2021<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=\"http:\/\/catawbaindian.net\/\">Catawba Nation<\/a> has secured federal approval of its Class III gaming compact with the state of North Carolina, just months before the debut of the tribe&#8217;s long-awaited casino.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nA notice of the approved agreement was <a href=https:\/\/www.federalregister.gov\/documents\/2021\/03\/25\/2021-06111\/indian-gaming-approval-of-tribal-state-class-iii-gaming-compact-in-the-state-of-north-carolina>published   in the Federal Register<\/a>  by the <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/>Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a> on Thursday. Chief Bill Harris  welcomed  the   &#8220;great news&#8221; for his tribe and the state.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThis is great news for the Catawba Nation, the state of North Carolina and the Kings Mountain region, and I\u2019d like to thank the Bureau of Indian Affairs for its work in reviewing our Compact,\u201d Harris said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/25\/catawba032521.pdf\">news release<\/a>. \u201cOur focus now is developing the casino to bring economic benefits and thousands of jobs to the citizens of North Carolina.\u201d\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n<figure>\r\n<IMG class=\"img-fluid wow fadeIn\" \r\nsrc=\"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/IndianGaming\/2017\/09\/07\/catawbanationcasinonorthcarolina.jpg\" \r\nitemprop=\"image\"><\/IMG> <FIGCAPTION class=figure-caption>Artist&#8217;s rendering of  the Catawba Nation casino in North Carolina. Image: <A \r\nhref=\"\/m.asp?url=https:\/\/catawbaindian.net\/assets\/docs\/Project-Brief_Catawba.pdf\">Catawba \r\nNation Project Brief<\/A> <\/FIGCAPTION><\/figure>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nWith the compact, the tribe is able to offer Class III products, such as slot machines, poker and similar games, at its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/IndianGaming\/2020\/03\/16\/catawba-nation-celebrates-after-trump-ad.asp\">forthcoming Two Kings Casino Resort<\/a>. The facility will be  about 45 minutes away from downtown <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Charlotte,_North_Carolina\">Charlotte<\/a>, the most populous city in the state.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe tribe signed the agreement with <a href=\"https:\/\/governor.nc.gov\/\">North Carolina  Gov. Roy Cooper<\/a> (D) in January. It calls for the state to <a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/25\/catawba012221.pdf\">receive  a portion of   revenues from Class III games<\/a> at  the casino in the city of Kings Mountain.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe compact also applies to as many as three  locations in North Carolina, though the tribe hasn&#8217;t announced any plans for future casinos. The agreement  will remain in effect for 30 years. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe 17-acre Two Kings  Casino Resort site   in Cleveland County was   <a href=https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/IndianGaming\/2020\/03\/16\/catawba-nation-celebrates-after-trump-ad.asp>placed into trust by the BIA<\/a> in March 2020. It took about seven years for the land-into-trust application to gain approval, following lengthy internal deliberations through the Barack Obama and Donald Trump administrations.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It took nearly seven years but the Catawba Nation has finally won approval to build a casino in <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NorthCarolina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NorthCarolina<\/a>, a move that drew strong condemnation from another tribe with an existing enterprise in the state. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/TribalHomelands?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#TribalHomelands<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/j8v1xdTRm6\">https:\/\/t.co\/j8v1xdTRm6<\/a><\/p>&mdash; indianz.com (@indianz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1239692439184605185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 16, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nCatawba headquarters are in neighboring South Carolina, where options for gaming are severely restricted. But the   <a href=https:\/\/www.govinfo.gov\/content\/pkg\/STATUTE-107\/pdf\/STATUTE-107-Pg1118.pdf>federal law that settled the tribe&#8217;s land claim<\/a> defines Cleveland County and other parts of North Carolina as the tribe&#8217;s service area, opening  the door for a casino on newly acquired lands in the region.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe only other <a href=https:\/\/www.caesars.com\/harrahs-cherokee>Indian gaming operations<\/a> in <a href=https:\/\/www.caesars.com\/harrahs-cherokee-valley-river\/casino>North Carolina<\/a> are owned by the <a href=\"https:\/\/ebci.com\/\">Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians<\/a> in the far western part of the state. The tribe has <a href=\"https:\/\/ebci.com\/government\/news\/catawba\/\">opposed the Catawba Nation&#8217;s efforts<\/a>, calling them an encroachment on ancestral lands near Charlotte.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cThe proposed Kings Mountain casino was born of an illegal act and has continued to swirl in controversy and unethical behavior,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/chiefsneed\/\">Eastern Cherokee Chief Richard Sneed<\/a> said in January after the Catawba compact was signed.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n \u201cIt\u2019s disappointing to hear that the governor felt compelled to sign an agreement that furthers this scheme and threatens the integrity of tribal gaming everywhere,\u201d Sneed said of the state governor. \u201cBut this compact changes nothing.  We continue to believe the courts will affirm the illegality of this casino and when that happens, the Catawba agreement will be nothing more than a worthless piece of paper.\u201d\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"mt-1 mb-1\"><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block; text-align:center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-8411603009680747\" data-ad-slot=\"6394965691\"><\/ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/script><\/div><p><\/p>\r\nUnder the  <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Indian_Gaming_Regulatory_Act\">Indian Gaming Regulatory Act<\/a>, Class III gaming compacts must be <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/as-ia\/oig\/gaming-compacts>submitted to the BIA<\/a> for review. Typically, the agency approves every agreement &#8212; like the one for the  Catawba Nation &#8212; although there have been instances in which they have been rejected. \r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cWe completed our review of the compact and conclude that it does not violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), and any provision of the federal law that does not relate to jurisdiction over gaming on Indian lands, or the trust obligations of the United States to Indians,\u201d <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/leadership>Darryl LaCounte<\/a>, the director of the BIA, wrote in a March 19 letter that was quoted in the tribe&#8217;s news release on Thursday.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n \u201cTherefore, pursuant to my delegated authority and Section 11 of IGRA, I approve the compact,\u201d wrote LaCounte, who is a career employee at the BIA. \r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">1\/ As confirmed by a member of his staff, Senator Lindsey Graham of SC voted to confirm Secretary Haaland in part due to a letter received from our very own Chief Bill Harris. (cont&#39;d)<\/p>&mdash; The Catawba Nation (@officialcatawba) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/officialcatawba\/status\/1371884191319781377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 16, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Biden administration has not publicly announced who will be nominated as the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs, although Bryan Newland, the former president of the Bay Mills Indian Community, is currently serving as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the <a href=https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/>Department of the Interior<\/a>, which includes the BIA. \r\n<P><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecDebHaaland\">Secretary of the Interior is Deb Haaland<\/a>, who is the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/03\/22\/native-america-calling-native-women-leaders-make-history-fighting-for-the-people\/>first Native person to lead the federal agency<\/a> with the most trust and treaty responsibilities in Indian Country. She is also the first Native person to serve in a presidential cabinet. \r\n<P><\/p>\r\nAccording to  the Catawba Nation, the Two Kings  Casino Resort will open this fall.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/25\/catawba032521.pdf\" class=\"pdfemb-viewer\" style=\"\" data-width=\"max\" data-height=\"max\" data-toolbar=\"both\" data-toolbar-fixed=\"on\">catawba032521<\/a>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/10\/23\/trump-is-hitting-us-really-hard-biden-campaign-confronts-last-minute-push-for-native-vote\/\" title=\"\u2018Trump is hitting us really hard\u2019: Biden campaign confronts last minute push for Native vote\">\u2018Trump is hitting us really hard\u2019: Biden campaign confronts last minute push for Native vote<\/a> (October 23, 2020)<BR><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/10\/22\/incredible-lumbee-catawba-tribes-nativevote20\/\" title=\"\u2018Incredible Lumbee, Catawba tribes\u2019 #NativeVote20\">\u2018Incredible Lumbee, Catawba tribes\u2019 #NativeVote20<\/a> (October 22, 2020)<BR><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2020\/09\/16\/catawba-nation-welcomes-land-affirmation-bill-in-congress\/\" title=\"Catawba Nation welcomes land affirmation bill in Congress\">Catawba Nation welcomes land affirmation bill in Congress<\/a> (September 16, 2020)","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Catawba Nation is on track to open a casino in North Carolina in the fall of 2021.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9430,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,67,20,13,1,14],"tags":[117,188,625,183,901,1334,88,118,534,1332,73,476,186,184,902,723,1333,185],"class_list":["post-9420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-indian-gaming","category-indian-trust","category-law","category-national","category-politics","tag-bia","tag-bill-harris","tag-bryan-newland","tag-catawba","tag-class-iii","tag-darryl-lacounte","tag-deb-haaland","tag-doi","tag-eastern-cherokee","tag-federal-register","tag-igra","tag-land-claims","tag-land-into-trust","tag-north-carolina","tag-revenue-sharing","tag-richard-sneed","tag-roy-cooper","tag-south-carolina","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/25\/twokingscasinoresort-scaled.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-2rW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9420"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9420\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}