Английская Википедия:Catawba Two Kings Casino

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Шаблон:Use mdy dates Шаблон:Infobox casino Catawba Two Kings Casino is a tribal casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, approximately Шаблон:Convert west of Charlotte, overlooking Interstate 85. The casino is owned by the Catawba Indian Nation and managed by Delaware North. There is currently a temporary modular "pre-launch" casino that has 1,000 slot machines and electronic table games available until the final casino resort is built. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024 and be completed in two to three years. The finished casino is expected to have 3,000 slot machines and 120 table games while also including a 400 hotel room tower. The name of the casino, Two Kings, refers to the 18th century Catawba Chief King Hagler and the city of Kings Mountain.

History

Early gaming relations with North and South Carolina

The Catawba Indian Nation was not included in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) as they were not a federally recognized tribe at the time of its signing in 1988. The tribe didn’t become federally recognized until the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993. Under this Settlement Agreement, the Catawba agreed to not be governed by the IGRA, but instead allowed to operate games of chance permissible by the Agreement and State legislation. The tribe opened several bingo halls but struggled to be profitable and would eventually close down due to a high sales tax and competition with the creation of the South Carolina Education Lottery. The Catawba tried negotiating a compact with South Carolina to open a tribal casino in exchange for sharing casino profits, but former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and other state officials rejected the idea and were firm in denying any gambling expansion for the Catawba. Tribal leaders then began looking across the boarder into neighboring North Carolina for possible gaming ventures. In 2013, the Nation announced “Project Schoolhouse”, which was a codename for the plan to build a $600M casino resort in North Carolina. The tribe purchased land from Roadside Truck Plaza Inc off Interstate 85 in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, about 40 miles northwest of the reservation outside Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Catawba applied to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to take this land into federal trust for the tribe in order to build the casino resort on the land in the bordering state. Former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and over 100 other state representatives disapproved of the plan and sent a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) strongly opposing the Catawba's application. The Catawba partnered with Sky Boat LLC, owned by South Carolina casino developer Wallace Cheves, to help the casino project get funding and approval. While city officials approved of the casino, some local community members openly object to the project as they await the decision of the application. In 2018, after years of review, the Interior ultimately denied the trust land request. The Catawba filed a new application with the Interior as well as petitioned Congress, again requesting that it take the Kings Mountain site into trust and the land be used for gaming. In 2019, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham introduced U.S. Senate Bill 790, with support from North Carolina Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis. The bill would allow the Catawba to take the land into trust for gaming, however, the bill does not pass. In March 2020, the Interior Department reversed its previous decision and puts the Kings Mountain land into trust for the Catawba.

The temporary casino opened on July 1, 2021 with 500 slot machines. The casino expanded in December 2021 to have a total of 954 slot machines while also adding 46 electronic table games which include Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette.

In September 2022, the casino added 30 kiosks which allowed players to place sports bets.

Federal investigation and political connections

In March 2022, the chief compliance officer of the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) alerted the Catawba Nation to issues with their contract and that business agreements with partners violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. It warned that if they aren’t brought into compliance, the tribe could face fines and temporary closure of the casino. The NIGC's role is to ensure that Indian gaming is conducted in compliance with federal law and that the tribe's revenues are used in a manner that is consistent with the best interests of the tribe and its members.

On July 31, 2022, The Wall Street Journal published a report revealing that individuals with political connections in North Carolina and South Carolina received shares in companies connected to the casino while it was seeking approval to open. This brought concerns about potential conflicts of interest as it appeared politicians used their influence to benefit the casino and the companies they are connected to, rather than that of the public. Some of the political connections included Michael Haley, the husband of former governor of South Carolina and 2024 Republican Presidential canidate Nikki Haley as well as John Clyburn, the brother of South Carolina representative Jim Clyburn, both of whom were discovered to have ownership in the slot machine company, Kings Mountain Equipment Supply. The casino is currently appealing the violation issued by the National Indian Gaming Commission.

See also

• Gambling in North Carolina