A timeline of Catawba Nation and Two Kings Casino
Federal regulators have found Catawba Two Kings Casino to be in violation of Indian gaming law, concerning members of the tribe and raising questions about the immediate future of the gaming operation.
The Catawba Nation getting the go ahead to build a casino was initially seen as little more than a fantasy. But after years of political maneuvering, the tribe got approval to open a gambling facility in Kings Mountain.
Below is a timeline of the recent history of the tribe and the efforts to bring a casino to North Carolina, pulled from various sources, including news reports, government documents and original reporting.
1959
Catawba Nation loses its federal recognition as a protected Indian tribe.
1973
The tribe files a petition with Congress to regain federal recognition.
1993
President Bill Clinton signs the Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act. As part of that settlement, the Catawba drop their claim to land around York County, South Carolina, in exchange for $50 million and federal recognition.
2013
January: Project Schoolhouse, the code name for the what eventually became Two Kings Casino, begins as a partnership between the Cleveland County Economic Development Partnership and local officials.
June: Former N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory is briefed on Project Schoolhouse, but he has strong objections and refuses to support the Catawba’s federal application for a casino.
August: McCrory aides visit the proposed casino site in Kings Mountain. The Catawba apply to place the property, off Interstate 85, into a trust, which would give the tribe ownership of the land.
October: Republican state Senate leaders send a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs opposing Catawba Nation’s application to put the Cleveland County land into federal trust, saying it would “set a new and dangerous precedent.”
2014
December: More than a year after it was created, Wallace Cheves is listed as a member of a company called Sky Boat NC, LLC. Cheves is the politically connected casino developer hired by the Catawba to help them get approval for Two Kings Casino.
2018
April: The Catawba withdraw their initial application to the federal Department of the Interior to put land in Kings Mountain into a trust.
September: The tribe files a new application, asking the federal government to put the land in a trust that would pave the way for a casino.
2019
March: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduces the Catawba Indian Nation Lands Act, which would give 17 acres of land in Kings Mountain to the tribe and authorize it to operate of a casino.
May: North Carolina state senators sign a letter opposing the bill introduced by Graham. A full-page ad runs in the Shelby Star with 1,200 signatures opposing the casino.
2020
March: The Department of the Interior agrees to put 17 acres in Cleveland County in a trust for Catawba Nation to establish a casino. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, who own two casinos in western North Carolina, sue the Department of the Interior.
July: The Interior Department officially places the Cleveland County land into trust for the Catawba, who, later in the month, break ground on Two Kings Casino.
2021
January: Catawba Nation and North Carolina sign a compact allowing the state to share in revenue generated by the casino.
March: Citing concerns about “a nearly untraceable network of LLCs” hiding investments in the Catawba casino, a group of 14 state House Democrats ask Attorney General Josh Stein to investigate the Two Kings casino deal.
July: Catawba Two Kings Casino opens in a temporary facility with 500 slot machines. The National Indian Gaming Commission sends a “letter of concern” to the tribe, saying some of their business agreements may violate the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
December: The casino doubles its number of slot machines to 1,000. Later in the month, President Joe Biden signs the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill gives formal approval for the casino and clears the way for its expansion.
2022
March: The NIGC alerts the Catawba Nation that its business agreements still violate the law. It warns that if they aren’t brought into compliance, the tribe could face fines and temporary closure of the casino.
July: The Wall Street Journal publishes a report revealing that politically connected people in North Carolnia and South Carolina received shares in companies connected to the Catawba Two Kings Casino while the casino sought governmental approval to open.
August: The Charlotte Observer reports that two longtime local casino supporters, a former Cleveland County county manager and a former county commissioner, were also set up to get casino profits.
November: Further reporting by The Observer shows that the Cleveland County officials also had additional connections to companies that either own land around the casino or are affiliated with casino players.
December: The NIGC ends its investigation into Two Kings Casino, finding that some contracts violate the law. The agency says it has the authority to impose fines of up to $57,527 per day and close the casino. Catawba Chief Bill Harris assured tribe members that leaders would resolve the issue.
This story was originally published December 15, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
