After years of fits and starts, construction on the permanent Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain will begin on June 7.
The new North Carolina casino development from the Catawba Tribe will cost $700 million and create at least 2,000 new jobs.
A permanent Two Kings Casino is expected to open in two years
According to the tribal nation, 2,000 construction and associated jobs will result from the several phases of development about 35 miles west of Charlotte off Interstate 85. Completion is expected by “early 2026.”
The project will include the Catawba Two Kings Sportsbook, a retail betting location. The Catawba Tribe has not yet announced plans for an accompanying online sports betting app, though the tribe received a license when North Carolina online sports betting launched in March.
The new casino in Kings Mountain will feature a 40-seat restaurant. At the completion of the first construction phase, visitors will also find 1,350 slots, electronic table games, and 12 table games. The casino will open before the completion of the entire construction phase, with a focus on making the gaming area accessible.
Along with casino expansion, construction also includes a couple infrastructural upgrades: the expansion of the Dixon School Road Bridge which spans I-85, and installation of new sewer lines around the casino.
Pathway to groundbreaking slowed by legal disputes
Groundbreaking on the project commences follows a protracted period of negotiation and legal fighting between the Catawba Indians and SkyBoat Gaming, a development company formerly attached to the casino. A prior arrangement between the tribe and SkyBoat was found to violate federal law. A legal wrangling untangled that deal, removing SkyBoat from the project. One of the results of that decision is more autonomy for Catawba Nation, which the tribe suggests will lead to economic prosperity for their membership.
The Catawba Nation has more than 3,000 members and was recognized by the U.S. Government in 1993. It’s the only federally-recognized tribe that has lands in both North and South Carolina. Its people have lived in the Piedmont Valley region of North Carolina for more than 6,000 years.
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