KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. (June 18, 2025) – Significant construction has been completed during the first year of work on the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, N.C., a site off Interstate-85 only 35 miles from Charlotte and close to the South Carolina border.
Construction on all aspects of the project is in full swing, with the foundations for the casino complex and hotel completed several months ago. The casino complex is at its full height and expanding horizontally, steel continuing to rise for the 24-story, 385-room hotel. The hotel tower framing is now 10 stories high, with an additional floor being added nearly every week. At completion, the hotel will be connected to the casino complex.
The casino complex includes the introductory casino on the first level, three levels of covered parking, a back-of-house level and top level with the main casino floor and restaurants. The introductory casino, set to open in spring 2026, will include 1,350 slot machines, 20 table games, a 40-seat restaurant, a bar, sports betting kiosks and Lucky North Rewards desk.
The introductory casino will replace the current temporary (prelaunch) casino, which continues to grow in popularity as it nears its fourth anniversary on July 1.
The main casino complex is targeted to open in 2027. It will be about 2 million square feet and feature:
- 4,300 slot machines
- 100 table games
- 11 dining outlets, including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace with six venues, café and grab-and-go outlet
- A players lounge
- 11 bars, including a center bar and sports bar
- A 2,700-space parking garage built under the casino complex and 800 surface parking spaces
The project has created hundreds of construction jobs. Upon completion, the casino resort will employ an estimated 2,200 regional residents and citizens of the Catawba Nation.
“This casino resort will be an economic game changer for Catawba citizens and a force to drive the economy of Cleveland County and the City of Kings Mountain,” Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said. “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 noted the temporary casino is contributing to many community and charitable organizations in the region, and that will only increase as the full casino resort opens.
The project is being led by the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority under Vice President Trent Troxel, with Yates-Metcon as the construction general contractor; Delaware North as the gaming management, development and hospitality consultant; and SOSHNY Design architects.
“Once again, I want to thank the Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain, federal and state leaders who have supported the Catawba Nation’s efforts develop the casino resort in its ancestral lands in North Carolina,” Harris said.
Work has also been completed on two key infrastructure projects for 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.
About Catawba Two Kings Casino
The Catawba Nation’s temporary Catawba Two Kings Casino is located about 35 miles west of Charlotte at 538 Kings Mountain Blvd. in Kings Mountain, N.C., just off Interstate 85 at Exit 5. It features over 1,100 gaming machines, including electronic table games (ETGs), 14 live table games, North Carolina’s closest sportsbook to Charlotte and casual dining. The permanent casino resort is being developed on an adjacent site and is expected to open with an introductory phase in spring 2026. The final Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort will feature 4,300 slots, 100 live table games, 11 dining outlets, 11 bars and a 385-room hotel. It is expected to create 2,000 permanent jobs and hundreds of construction jobs in the region. The Two Kings name celebrates the Catawba Nation’s history and hopeful future in their ancestral lands in North Carolina, paying tribute to the 18th century Catawba Chief King Hagler and the City of Kings Mountain. For more information visit www.twokingscasino.com, https://www.facebook.com/TwoKingsCasino/, https://www.instagram.com/twokingscasino/ and https://twitter.com/twokingscasino.
