“The issues don’t involve current casino operations,” Catawba Nation Chief Bill Harris said in a statement to Spectrum News 1. The daily fine would be set by the commission chair after the tribe has a change to respond. “The Nation, Sky Boat, and Sky Boat’s owners, officials, managers, and consultant could face civil penalties not to exceed $57,527 per day for each violation and the Nation’s gaming operation could be subject to a temporary closure order,” the commission said in a statement Wednesday. The Gaming Commission found the casino signed an agreement with a company called Sky Boat to help manage expanding the gambling operation, but did not submit the contract to the commission for approval. The casino is open in a temporary 30,000-square-foot building just off Interstate 85, about 35 minutes from Uptown Charlotte. “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,” Simermeyer said. “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,” said commission Chair Sequoyah Simermeyer. The Gaming Commission issued its notice of violation after a yearlong investigation into the business agreements for operating the casino. The casino sits just off Interstate 85 about 30 miles west of Charlotte.The Catawba Nation opened its temporary casino in July 2021 and has long-term plans for a much larger casino resort.The violation could lead to fines of more than $55,000 a day.

The National Indian Gaming Commission cited the Catawba Two Kings Casino for not getting approval for a management contract as required by federal law.

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