The Catawba Indian Nation of South Carolina is working with Sky Boat LLC to develop a casino near Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Sky Boat is led by Wallace Cheves, of Greenville, South Carolina, who previously has been involved in video poker, riverboat gambling and other gambling ventures.
“Our background is not just video poker. It’s gaming. We have a lot of political background and have done a lot of consulting with other tribes. That’s why the Catawbas chose our consortium of entrepreneurs, just as Harrah’s was chosen by the Eastern Band of Cherokee because of their gaming background,” Cheves said. He added he has secured financing for the casino.
Sky Boat hired Raleigh lobbyists last year in an attempt to lower political opposition to the Catawba casino and Cheves said he plans to hire them again. Catawba Chief Bill Harris said the tribe has been surprised by lawmaker’s opposition, although the Catawbas contend their tribal service area extends into six North Carolina counties. Last year more than 100 state House legislators signed a letter opposing the casino.
“Their quick opposition, I think, is what shocked the people in this community. Someone is coming in and going to place 4,000 jobs in the area,” Harris said. Governor Pat McCrory also opposes the casino and said he does not want a gambling compact with the tribe, even if the state received a share of the gambling revenue.
The proposed Catawba casino site in North Carolina is about 30 miles northwest of the tribe’s reservation in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The tribe is waiting for a decision by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs on its application to have the land placed in trust.
In South Carolina, state laws have blocked the tribe’s efforts to build a casino. However, the Catawbas have challenged those laws and have a case pending before the South Carolina Supreme Court. In North Carolina, the only Indian casino is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee and operated by Harrah’s.
North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper said, “Video poker has been a source of corruption and a challenge for law enforcement in North Carolina, and it’s troubling that this industry keeps looking for ways to expand its presence here.”
