A Camden judge ruled against the Catawba Indian Nation in their lawsuit over the tribe’s gaming rights. The Nation had sought to build a casino on their York County reservation.
The Rock Hill Herald reports that the Catawbas wanted to start construction on two hotels and a casino they said would employ nearly 4,000 people and would have brought in thousands of dollars for the state. However, barring a successful appeal, those plans were shut down by the judge’s ruling.
In January, the tribe sued South Carolina and State Law Enforcement Chief Mark Keel, claiming the state should allow the Catawbas to have gambling on their reservation– as state law allows gambling on cruise ships off the coast of Charleston.
Circuit Court Judge J. Ernest Kinard ruled against the tribe’s lawsuit, saying the law clearly bans gambling on state soil and cruise ships must be well off the coast before any gambling can take place.
Gambling has been a continuous issue with the Catawbas since the 1993 settlement that ended a long legal battle with the state and federal governments. The Catawbas claim that settlement gave them the right to have gambling on their reservation.
The Nation is expected to file an appeal to the ruling.
South Carolina Radio Network’s Tripp Girardeau contributed to this report.
