A multi-tribal fight over Lucky Cola casino gaming along the I-95 corridor is taking shape across the Carolinas, as the Catawba Nation pushes for state recognition in North Carolina while warning it may resort to federal lawsuits if South Carolina opens the door to rival casino projects.
The federally recognized tribe already operates a temporary casino in North Carolina and is preparing to expand, even as competing interests — including the newly recognized Lumbee Tribe — position themselves for future casino development near the South Carolina border.
Chief Brian Harris outlined the tribe’s strategy and outlook for 2026 in a Facebook video released earlier this month.
Harris said that the tribe has submitted all the necessary paperwork, having done its “due diligence.” He added that the tribe has complied with all requirements of the North Carolina Commission of Indian Affairs.
If the state recognizes the tribe, that opens up new possibilities. Those include eligibility for state programs and grants, a formal government-to-government relationship with North Carolina, and representation on state bodies.
The tribe intends to open its first satellite government office in North Carolina to facilitate services for its citizens in the state.
Harris concluded his address by issuing a warning tied directly to casino expansion in South Carolina. He referenced a past pledge by state officials to give the tribe a “leg up” if South Carolina ever legalizes casino gaming.
He said that if South Carolina fails to honor that promise, the tribe would pursue federal lawsuits to block casino gaming in the state “until the cows come home.”
The Move Into North Carolina
The Catawba are the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina. While its historic territory covered large parts of both states, its current land base is mainly confined to 700 acres in York County, near the North Carolina border.
The U.S. Department of the Interior helped place land in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, into federal trust in March 2020. This then qualified as Indian land as per the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
As federally recognized tribes can operate casinos on tribal land, the Catawba Nation opened a temporary Two Kings Casino in July 2021. While there are rules against tribes opening casinos on newly acquired land, the Catawba got an exemption due to its historical presence in the region.
Chief Harris issued a reminder in his 2026 address that the tribe will open an 80,000-square-foot introductory casino in February or March. The existing temporary facility spreads over 61 trailers.
The initial expansion will contain 1,350 slot machines, 22 table games, sports betting kiosks, and a 68-seat restaurant. It represents the first phase of a $1 billion project the tribe expects to fully open in spring 2027.
The final resort is planned to span 2 million square feet. It will feature 11 restaurants, 4,300 slot machines, and 100 table games.
Tensions Over South Carolina Casino Bill
Harris’s comments about South Carolina’s past promise come as lawmakers debate legislation that would authorize a casino along the I-95 corridor. The Catawba Nation has signaled it intends to introduce its own legislation to secure priority rights to any future casino license in the region.
House Bill 4176 would authorize one casino license for the region in an impoverished town. At a hearing earlier in January, the Catawba Nation criticized the bill for not mentioning the tribe, as it has long looked for legal pathways to offer casino gaming in its home state.
The conflict traces back to a 1993 settlement agreement that blocks the Catawba Nation from operating a casino in South Carolina. Under that deal, the tribe agreed to follow South Carolina law rather than federal gaming law in exchange for resolving a decades-long land claim.
That meant tribes could only offer “games of chance” that state laws permitted at the time. South Carolina has banned most types of casino gambling, limiting Catawba to bingo operations.
Competing Interest to Build an I-95 Casino
The Catawba Nation believes it should receive priority if laws change. However, it appears to have competition.
The Santee Development Corp. has also expressed interest in building a casino on I-95. The head of this company, Wallace Cheves, previously worked with the Catawba Nation to pursue a casino along I-95. However, according to local reporting, the relationship subsequently soured.
More recently, the North Carolina-based Lumbee Tribe added a new wrinkle to the debate. On Jan. 22, the tribe announced it had purchased approximately 241 acres near I-95 in Robeson County, close to the South Carolina border.
Lumbee has said it’s exploring developing the land into a casino resort, subject to tribal and regulatory approvals. If tribal members oppose gaming, the plan would be to develop the new land into a business and industry park. The tribe secured federal recognition only last month, in Dec. 2025.
Harris’s comments suggest the Catawba Nation is prepared to challenge any decision that grants casino rights to another party south of the border. For now, however, the South Carolina bill faces skepticism from lawmakers and remains far from passage.
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