North Carolina: Catawba Nation breaks ground on $700M permanent Two Kings casino resort

The Catawba Nation celebrated the beginning of construction on the $700 million-plus permanent Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, about 35 minutes from downtown Charlotte.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris was joined by other Catawba leaders; Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain, and other government officials; and leaders from companies partnering with the Catawba to work on the project. Catawba Nation cultural dancers and drummers performed during the ceremony, attended by about 400 people, including many tribal members.

“This groundbreaking represents not just the physical construction of a building, but the realization of a dream, the embodiment of hard work and dedication, and the celebration of our rich cultural heritage,” said Harris. 

“For too long, the Catawba Indian Nation has faced challenges and barriers to economic development. But today, we are breaking ground not just on a casino, but on a path toward empowerment and self-determination."

Officials called the development "a significant milestone" for the Catawba Indian Nation and the residents of Cleveland County and the city of Kings Mountain, promising to create opportunities for economic growth in a way that is "deeply rooted" in the tribe's traditions and values. 

"This project is a testament to our resilience, our commitment to self-sufficiency, and our determination to build a better future for ourselves and our future generations," Harris added. "[The casino will also serve as a] source of pride and cultural preservation – a place where our heritage is celebrated, where our traditions are honored, and where our stories are told.”

During the ceremony, Harris also thanked those who contributed to making the casino a reality, including tribal leaders and members, architects, contractors, and investors. In addition, he thanked Cleveland County, the city of Kings Mountain, and federal and state leaders who have supported the Catawba Nation’s efforts to develop the casino resort in its ancestral lands in North Carolina.

Construction has begun on the project, design plans are now finalized and initial financing is in place for the project after the Catawba Nation finalized the private settlement with its former developer, Sky Boat Gaming, in early May, removing the firm from any interest in the project. 

The Catawba Nation in February also purchased from Sky Boat land around its temporary casino, including the parking lot and additional property that may be used to support resort amenities.

Work has also been completed on two key infrastructure projects for the development of the permanent casino resort that were funded by the Catawba Nation: doubling the size of the Dixon School Road Bridge over I-85 near the casino entrance and installing new sewer lines near the casino.

Delaware North, which has served as a consultant to the Catawba Nation on the project since 2019, is expected to manage and serve as the developer of the permanent casino resort once the contracts are approved by the National Indian Gaming Commission. 

SOSHNY Design is serving as architect and Yates-Metcon, a joint venture of Yates Construction and Metcon Buildings & Infrastructure, will serve as general contractor for the project.  

During construction, the Catawba Nation will continue to operate its temporary casino, which opened in 2021 and features 1,000 slot machines, electronic table games, a retail sportsbook, and a restaurant. The temporary casino is set to add 12 live table games and 56 additional slot machines in early summer, along with additional surface parking.

The permanent casino resort, which will be about two million square feet at full buildout, will be completed in two main phases.

The temporary casino's current gaming floor

Introductory Casino

This phase will be constructed at ground level with 1,350 slots/ETGs, 12 table games, and a restaurant with 40 seats that will include a sportsbook area with 30 self-service kiosks. In addition, supporting back-of-house space for surveillance, and security, the cage and part of the first two floors of the parking garage (1,600 spots) will be completed above the ground level. 

Upon opening, estimated for early 2026, the introductory casino will replace the current temporary facility. Employment will be at about 420 positions, which is 20 more than what is anticipated when the new table games area in the temporary casino opens this summer.

Full Casino Resort

Construction will then begin on the 400-room hotel and the remainder of the casino complex, which will be stacked above the ground floor. The hotel tower will be a separate structure that is connected to the casino complex to maximize the patron experience. 

The casino complex will feature three levels of parking (floors 2-4), an entire floor devoted to back-of-house operations and offices, and the main casino floor and restaurants on top.

At full buildout, the main casino complex will be about two million square feet and feature: 4,300 slots; 100 table games; five restaurants – including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace buffet, cafe, and grab-and-go outlet; a players lounge; and six bars, including a center bar and sports bar.

There is no estimate at this time of when the main casino complex and hotel will be completed. After the main casino complex opens, the introductory casino will become the smoking section of the casino. Upon completion, the casino resort will employ an estimated 2,200 team members.