- Construction at the Two Kings Casino Resort continues
- The final beam atop the 24-story hotel was placed this week
- The North Carolina casino is slated to open in the spring of 2027
A third casino is coming to North Carolina. The $1 billion project held a topping-off ceremony this week, as the final beam on the 24-story hotel tower was lifted into place.
More than two decades in the making, the Catawba Nation, following years of legal challenges and financing delays, found a development partner in Delaware North in May 2024.
The New York-based multibillion-dollar hospitality and gaming conglomerate had served as a consultant on the casino vision for many years. Delaware North signed on to become the Catawba’s financier and operating partner once the tribe’s relationship with North Carolina businessman Wallace Cheves soured.
Since May 2024, construction has progressed rapidly on the $1 billion permanent casino that will be known as Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort. Located roughly 35 miles west of Charlotte, the resort destination is being built just off Interstate 85 at Exit 5.
Hotel Topped Off
On Monday, tribal leaders celebrated the final beam being placed atop the hotel that will feature 385 rooms and suites.
“We are witnessing something far greater than a construction process. We are witnessing a moment in our people’s history,” said Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris.
This final beam doesn’t just reflect the erection of a structure but the rise of a nation,” Harris declared.
The Catawba people, headquartered on their Rock Hill, SC, reservation, have relied on its construction entities for economic purposes. The Catawba Corporation’s umbrella has subsidiaries in engineering, information management, maintenance, security, and professional services. The tribe’s economy has been further propped up since July 2021 by its temporary Two Kings Casino.
The modular facility boasts over 1,100 slot machines and electronic table game seats, 14 live-dealer table games, and sports betting kiosks.
The forthcoming permanent property will be much larger. The Two Kings Casino Resort will feature 4,300 slots, 100 table games, and a sportsbook. The introductory casino, once the final resort is complete, will serve as a gaming area where smoking is allowed.
The resort is to include 10 restaurants and bars, a parking garage, and employ 2,200 people. The permanent casino is slated to open in the spring of 2027.
NC Tribal Casinos
North Carolina has long been home to two tribal casinos, both owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Harrah’s Cherokee and Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River are located about 100 miles west of the Two Kings site.
While Catawba is historically associated with South Carolina, the tribe successfully proved historical ties to Kings County in North Carolina. The US government took 16.5 acres of Kings Mountain land into trust in 2020, which is where the tribe is building its casino resort.
South Carolina has refused to enter into a Class III gaming compact with the Catawba, the state’s lone federally recognized tribe. For slot machines and live-dealer table games, a Class III state compact is needed.
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act permits tribes to conduct only Class I and II gaming on sovereign lands without a state compact. Such gaming includes small games of chance like pull tabs, bingo, and electronic bingo.
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