"You can be anti-gambling all you want, but the state is in the business," Bender said. "Taking an anti-gambling stance in South Carolina when we, as the people, are promoters (of gambling) is ridiculous to me."

State Sen. Wes Hayes, R-Rock Hill, and others will speak against proposed video poker at the reservation when they conduct a press conference at 11 a.m. Thursday, Hayes said. They also will speak against the bingo hall proposed for Santee and will pledge support for local law enforcement, who have said they will enforce the law prohibiting video poker.

The press conference will be held at Thursdays Too, 147 Herlong Ave., in the Food Lion shopping center. Catawba leaders do not plan to attend, they say.

Hayes, who introduced the bill to ban video poker, said he did not support the S.C. Education Lottery. Nor does he support reintroducing video poker, which was banned in July 2000.

"I did not support the lottery, the voters voted on that," Hayes said. "Video poker is much worse than a state-run lottery."

Recently, the Catawbas announced plans to open a video poker operation on the reservation this month. In August, the Catawbas an-nounced plans to open high-stakes, Class II bingo in Orange-burg County.

Gov. Mark Sanford opposes the tribe's request, which would allow for a 24-hour bingo operation, seven days a week.

Under the 1993 federal and local settlement that ended a long-standing land dispute, the Catawbas were recognized by the United States as a limited sovereign Indian nation and were permitted to open two bingo halls. The Cherry Road bingo hall opened in 1997.

Catawba leaders say the second bingo hall is needed because their revenues have dwindled due to competition from the lottery. But Hayes said the state has no financial obligation to the tribe.

"In the settlement agreement we allowed them to have two bingo halls," Hayes said. "We made no promises they would make any money at all."

Contact Denyse Clark at 329-4069 or mailto:dclark@heraldonline.com