Former Catawba Development Partner Angling for South Carolina Casino
Wallace Cheves, a developer who for years was entrenched in legal battles with the Catawba Nation over its Two Kings Casino in North Carolina, is now pushing for a bill that would allow for commercial casinos in South Carolina and establish a gaming commission to oversee them.
According to the Charlotte Observer, Cheves is proposing a $1 billion casino project in Santee. The proposal, which is still in committee, would exempt impoverished communities along I-95 from the existing state casino ban—that would currently apply to Dillon, Marlboro and Orangeburg counties. Santee is in Orangeburg.
The Catawba Nation, based in South Carolina, has so far been barred from developing a casino in its home state. Cheves and the tribe already had a contentious relationship, beginning in 2022 when the National Indian Gaming Commission ruled that the Two Kings Casino agreement between the two sides was too favorable to Cheves and therefore illegal. Both sides ultimately agreed to a settlement last year, but the tribe is likely to push back on the new bill.
“The Catawba Nation, despite being a federally recognized Native American tribe in South Carolina, has for 30 years been prohibited from operating casino gaming on its lands,” Catawba Chief Brian Harris said in a statement. “We have renewed those efforts to reverse this injustice in the state and are in the process of working toward a fairer settlement agreement that would allow us to operate casino gaming and give our people more opportunity for economic development.”
Oregon Tribal Casino Warns of Fake iGaming App
Windhorse Resort and Casino is warning patrons about a fake app using its name and logo to promote illegal iGaming, according to a March 19 report from NonStop Local. Online gaming is not legal in the state, and the tribe is urging residents to avoid downloading the app or clicking any suspicious links or offers.
Pechanga’s Maccaro Given Lifetime Achievement Award
Mark Maccaro, the longtime chairman of the Pechanga Band of Indians, was honored last week with a lifetime achievement award by the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, according to Patch. Maccaro was first elected to the tribe’s council in 1992 and has served as chairman since 1995. Throughout his tenure, Pechanga has grown to become one of the most powerful gaming tribes in California and in the U.S.
