The national Indian Gaming Commission recently issued a notice of violation against the Catawba Indians, Kings Mountain Sky Boat Partners LLC., and Sky Boat’s management. Sky Boat is is owned by Wallace Cheves. Cheves is a casino developer that worked with the Catawbas for several years to develop the Kings Mountain casino
.The NIGC said its investigation into the casino “found the Nation allowed Sky Boat to manage in part the expansion of Catawba Two Kings Casino without an approved management contract.” They also noted that the Kings Mountain gaming operation could be subject to a temporary closure order and the parties found in violation “could face civil penalties not to exceed $57,527 per day for each violation.”
“Based on an exhaustive investigation and analysis of the circumstances, we issued a Notice of Violation to both enforce regulatory compliance and ensure the Nation is the primary beneficiary of its gaming revenue,” NIGC chairman E. Sequoyah Simermeyer said in a news release. “We do not take this enforcement action lightly, but do so to preserve the integrity of the industry and protect the valuable tool Indian Gaming represents for many Tribes as codified in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.”
The Catawbas have since issued a statement stating that they will work to fix the issues.