On March 19, 2007, the South Carolina Supreme Court commented that the Catawba Indian Nation will not be allowed to feature and offer video poker to their customers on the reservation.
The Supreme Court decided that the 14 year old land settlement of the Catawba Indian Nation with South Carolina does not allow the tribe to feature video poker games, which are illegal under the existing gambling rules of South Carolina.
Catawba Indian Nation Lawyer, Dwight Drake, says that they are planning to appeal the ruling to the United States Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court did offer some hope to the tribe, saying that the state of South Carolina cannot impose on the tribe to ask for an $18 fee on the Catawba Indian Nation's Bingo customer.
The Catawba Indian Nation had to close down their bingo hall just last year, saying that the fees and the state lottery affected the profit taking of their bingo operations. Aside from the fee imposed on the customers and the dwindling interests of customers in bingo, competition from state supported games like the lottery is what's killing bingo games offered by the Catawba Indian Nation forcing them to shut down the business instead of spending a lot of money in expenses and getting no profit in return.
06/20/2007 21:56 PM