Jonathan L. Taylor 

Principal chief 

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians 

Qualla Boundary - P.O. Box 455 

Cherokee, NC 28719 

Dear Chief Taylor: 

This letter responds to your request to review and approve 

the amendment to the tribal gaming ordinance of the Eastern Band 

of Cherokee Indians (Tribe). The amendment to the ordinance was 

adopted by the Tribe by Resolution No. 197, on August 4, 1994. 

This letter constitutes such approval under the Indian Gaming 

Regulatory Act (IGRA). 

Under the IGRA and the regulations of the National Indian 

Gaming Commission (NIGC), the Chairman is directed to review 

amendments to ordinances with respect to the requirements of the 

IGRA and the implementing regulations. Thus, the scope of the 

Chairman's review and approval is limited to the requirements of 

the IGRA and the NIGC regulations. 

Thank you for submitting the amendment to the tribal gaming 

ordinance of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The NIGC 

staff and I continue to look forward to working with you and the 

Tribe in implrmsnting the IOW. 

Sincerely yours, 

/ Chairman 
Cherokee Council House 

Cherokee, 

JUL 0 

Date 

ORDINANCE NO. 7 (1994) 

SHORT TITLE: DATRON DISPUTE AMENDMENT 

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by the Tribal Council of the E~stern 

Band of Cherokee Indians, in Annual Council assembled, with a 

quoran present, that the Cherokee Code shall be amended by 

making the following addition to Chapter 16 of the Code: 

S16-18. PATRON DISPUTES. 

(A) Whene~re a gaming facility operator refuses payment of 

alleged winnings to a patron and the gaming facility operator and 

the patron are unable to resolve the dispute to the satisfaction of 

the patron and the dispute involves: 

(1) at least five hundred ($500.00) dollars, the 

gaming f acillty operator shall immediately notify the 

Tribal Gaming Commission, which shall conduct whatever 

investigation it deems necessary and shall detennine 

whether pzyment should be made; or, 

(2) for disputes involving less than five hundred 

($500.00j dollars, the gaming facility Gperator shall 

inform the patrcn of his or her right to request the 

Cornmiscion to conduct an investigation. Upon request of 

the patron, the Commission shall conduct whatever 

investigation it deems necessary and sha2.1 determine 

whether payment should be made. 

(B) The Commission shall mail written notice by csrtified 

mail, return receipt requested, to the gaming facility operator and 

the patrcn of the decision resolving the dispute within thirty (30) 

days after the date that the Commission first receives notification 

from the gaming facility operator or a request to conduct an 

investigation from the patron. 

(C) The decision of the Commission shall be effective 6n the 

date it is received by the aggrieved party as reflected on the 

return receipt. 

(D) Within thirty (30) days after the date of receipt of the 

written decision, the aggrieved party may file E written petition 

with the Commission requesting a review of the decisior~. The 

Commission may conduct a hearing on the matter or may make a 
decision based solely upon the prior decision and other 

documentation provided to it by the patron and the gaming facility 

operator. The Commission shall. then issue 6 written decision and 

mail it to the parties pursuant to the procedures se.- forth in (B) 

above. The decision of the Commission shall be finzl and binding 

upon the patron and the gaming facility operator and shall not be 

subject to judicial review, dispute resoluti~n or other legal 

action. 

EFFECTIVE DATE. The amendment shall becone effective 

immediately upon ratification by the Principal Chief. 

SUBMITTED BY: Tribal Attorney 
esolution/Ordinance No. 197 dated 

The %fT4e'gq - was Passed (v) Rijl5d ( ( and ratified in open 

Council on by 5. voting for ihe act and lo mem agzinst it as ~O~~OWS: 

VETO UPHELD ( ) VETO DENIED ( ) DATE - 

VOTE: FOX AGP.IKST i=E3STf..Il< $,"c:.;';' 

I hereby certify thct the foregoing act of the C3uncil was 

duly Passed ( ) Killed ( ) and ratified in open Couzcil after the 

same has been interpreted by t!-:e Officizl Interpreter a~d hcs beer, 

fully and freely discussed. 

In testimony, whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and efflxed 

the seal of the szid Bznd of Indians. Superi~tende~, Ckerokee 

William R. Taylor 

Glenn J. Bradley 

Teresa McCoy 

Dan McCoy 

Jess Murphy 

Richard V7e1ch 

Robert Blankenship 

Marion Teesafeskie 

Indian Aqency. . '. . 78 

11 INTZRPRZTED ( ) 

OYITTZD 

Larry Blytne 

Carroll Parker 

Abe Wachacha 

JFmiiy Fielci! 

APPROVED ( ) VETOEG ( ) 

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