North Carolina votes against new tribal casino

The Catawba tribe already began construction on the casino in July.

US.- The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners have voted 6-1 against the Catawba tribe’s casino project in Kings Mountain.

The tribe is from South Carolina where gambling is illegal, but says it has a historical claim to the North Carolina land.

They had already began constructing the casino in July, after winning federal approval from the Department of the Interior in March.

The Commissioners rejected the $273 million casino project due to fears of its effects on the investments and jobs provided by the Eastern Band of Cherokee tribe’s two casinos in western North Carolina.

The Cherokee tribe had protested against the casino’s approval.

Cherokee Chief Albert Sneed told commissioners: “It’s completely unprecedented and completely politicised.

“There have been unscrupulous developers who will essentially reservation shop to find a tribe that would like to get gaming.”