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The Catawba Nation used the opening celebration for the first phase of its Two Kings Casino Resort to announce broader expansion plans across North Carolina.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 1 at the Kings Mountain property, Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said the tribe intends to build two more casinos in the state, though the locations have not yet been disclosed.
More than 500 tribal members, construction partners and local officials attended the event near Interstate 85, west of Charlotte. Harris said the tribe has already identified potential sites and entered preliminary negotiations.
Catawba Nation eyes additional casino expansion
“We’ve identified the locations,” Harris told reporters after the ceremony. “We’re in preliminary negotiations right now.”
Harris declined to reveal where the additional tribal casinos could be built and did not provide a timeline for development. Tribal officials said more details would be released once negotiations and agreements are finalized.
The announcement signals a major expansion effort by the South Carolina-based tribe, which has spent years establishing its gaming presence in North Carolina.
Inside the New Two Kings Casino
The newly opened introductory casino replaces the temporary modular facility that has operated at the site since July 2021.
The casino operates 24 hours a day and the expanded gaming floor now features:
- 1,350 slot machines
- 36 electronic table games
- 22 live table games
- An 18-seat bar, a 68-seat restaurant
- Sports betting kiosks
- A player rewards desk
The Kings Mountain property sits roughly 35 miles west of Charlotte and remains one of only two tribal gaming operations in North Carolina.
Full resort remains on track for 2027 opening
Construction continues on the broader $1.2 billion Two Kings Casino Resort, which remains on track to open in spring 2027, tribal officials said.
According to news by the Charlotte Observer, once completed, the resort is expected to include:
- 4,300 slot machines
- 100 live table games
- A 24-story hotel with 385 rooms
- 11 tribe-owned restaurants and 11 bars
Officials estimate the completed resort will support approximately 2,200 permanent jobs.
Delaware North became the casino’s development and operating partner in 2024. The resort is named after King Hagler, an influential 18th-century Catawba chief, and the city of Kings Mountain.
Years of legal and political hurdles led to casino opening
The project marks the culmination of a yearslong legal and political effort by the Catawba Nation to establish gaming operations in North Carolina.
In 2020, the federal government placed 16.5 acres in Kings Mountain into trust for the tribe. Then-Gov. Roy Cooper signed a gaming compact with the Catawba Nation in 2021, paving the way for Las Vegas-style casino gaming at the site.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians continues to operate the state’s other tribal casinos in western North Carolina.
NC tribal gaming industry continues to grow
North Carolina’s gaming industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, particularly following the launch of statewide mobile sports betting in March 2024.
The Catawba Nation’s announcement signals that tribal gaming competition in the state could intensify further as additional projects emerge in the coming years.
Harris has repeatedly framed the casino project as a long-term economic engine for the tribe, connecting gaming revenue to housing, scholarships and health care programs for tribal members.
