Quietly, negotiations ongoing over new North Carolina casino plans
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Raleigh, N.C. — Gov. Roy Cooper's administration is negotiating with the Catawba Nation over plans to offer casino gambling at a facility under construction in Kings Mountain.
The Governor's Office confirmed Thursday it has at least one draft proposal in hand for what would ultimately be a gaming compact with the tribe, laying out the sort of games allowed and how much revenue the Catawbas would send the state.
Those proposals are secret while negotiations are ongoing, according to the Governor's Office, which denied a WRAL News request for the compact. The Catawba Nation declined to comment on the proposal.
In denying the request, Cooper spokesman Ford Porter cited an exemption in the state open records act dealing with legal proceedings. Porter said a final compact will be made public and need approval from the U.S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs, which traditionally seeks public input before a deal is final.
This would be the second tribe to open a casino in North Carolina, and the process has been a fight. The Catawba are based in South Carolina but maintain their territory extends into North Carolina, giving them the ability to build here after South Carolina refused their efforts to open a casino.
The Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians has lobbied against the plan, which could cut into their casino business in western North Carolina.
To offer table gaming, the Catawbas need signoff from the governor. Their effort also faces a federal lawsuit filed earlier this year by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee.
It's not clear how far along negotiations are with the Cooper administration. The Catawba Nation is partnering with a gaming company called Sky Boat Gaming, and company representatives did not return WRAL News messages.
