KINGS MOUNTAIN, NC – Significant construction has been completed during the first year of work on the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, NC, 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 underway, with the foundations for the casino complex and hotel completed several months ago, the casino complex at its full height and expanding horizontally, and 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 (pre-launch) casino, which continues to grow in popularity as it nears its fourth anniversary on July 1.
The main casino complex is scheduled to open in 2027 and will span approximately two million square feet. It will feature 4,300 slot machines, 100 table games, and 11 dining outlets, including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, a marketplace with six venues, a café, and a grab-and-go outlet. Additional amenities include a players lounge and 11 bars, among them a center bar and a sports bar. Parking will be accommodated with a 2,700-space garage located beneath the complex, along with 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,” said Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris. “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.
“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,” said Harris.
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.
