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Catawba Two Kings Casino - Opening Spring 2027

The Catawba Nation is building a $1.25 billion. full-scale casino resort named "Two Kings Casino Resort" in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, about 33 miles west of Charlotte. Tne name "Two Kings" is to honor both Chief Hagler, an 18th century Catawba leader, and Kings Mountain, the host city. This page tracks the latest project status, construction progress, and planned features.

Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort Construction 2026

Project status & opening date

Two Kings Casino Resort began construction with a groundbreaking ceremony held June 7, 2024. The site is a 16-acre parcel owned by the Catawba Nation located near the Kings Mountain Boulevard interchange at I-85 Exit 5. When all phases of the project are finished, Two Kings will comprise 2.2 million square feet and include a main casino, a smoking-allowed casino, multiple dining venues, hotel, entertainment center and a parking garage.

Current status: As construction proceeds on the main casino and hotel tower, an Introductory Casino was opened May 20, 2026. The casino is located on the ground floor of the permanent six-story casino/parking structure and replaced the temporary casino, which had operated on-site in modular buildings since July 1, 2021.

Opening date: Two Kings Casino Resort is targeting Spring 2027 for opening its main casino and hotel. The exact opening date is dependent on federal approvals and construction issues

Most recent milestone: An Introductory Casino opened May 20, 2026 to operate and attract visitors until the permanent casino opens.

Next major step: The main casino will be the first to open next Spring. The hotel will open about a month later.

Latest construction update

Updated: June 2026

As construction proceeds in its third and final year, the Catawba Two Kings casino resort continues to advance on-schedule towards its completion goals. Crews are working on the upper floors of the six-story casino/parking building to build out the main casino gaming floor on the top floor and complete the parking garage on the middle levels. Crews are also beginning to build out the nterior and connecting structures of the 24-story hotel tower.

Construction timeline

2020 - Land taken into trust
Federal government approves the Kings Mountain site for tribal gaming.
2021 - Temporary Casino opens
A temporary casino opened July 1, 2021 with a 30,000 squarefoot gaming floor, 1,000 slot machines, live table games and a sportsbook.
2024 - Groundbreaking July 7, 2024
After serveral delays, construction finally began in 2024 on a 3-year project to build the full-scale casino resort.
2026 - Introductory Casino opens
The Introductory Casino replaced the Temporary Casino on May 20, 2026. The new casino has a 80,000 sq ft gaming floor with 1,350 slot machines, 22 live table games, sportsbook, a high-limit gaming room with 60 slots, restaurant, full-seervice bar, and 1,600 parking spaces on levels two and three of the six-story casino/parking building.
2027 - Grand Opening
The completed Two Kings Casino Resort is targeted to open during Spring 2027.

Slots
Slots

Project phases & future development

Phase 1 Permanent casino

Phase 1 will open the permanent casino, which will be located inside a six-story building. The Main Casino will be on the top floor with parking on levels 2-4. The ground-floor Introductory Casino will be included as a smoke-allowed gaming area.

Phase 2 Hotel & resort expansion

Future phases include a hotel tower, expanded dining, and entertainment venues. These additions will follow the successful opening of the permanent casino.

Phase 3 Long-term vision

The long-term plan includes a full resort destination with additional hotel capacity, expanded gaming, and enhanced amenities supporting the tribe's economic development goals.

Catawba Two Kings Casino Future Phases Rendering

Tribe

Tribe: Catawba Nation
Enterprise: Catawba Nation Gaming Authority
Location: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Other enterprises: Catawba Bingo, tribal economic development programs
Official website: Catawba Nation

The Catawba Nation is developing the Two Kings Casino as a major economic development project to support tribal services, housing, education, and long-term community investment. The project represents one of the tribe's most significant modern development efforts.

Casino features

Temporary Casino (Closed)

  • Opened: July 1, 2021
  • Closed: May 20, 2026
  • Gaming floor: 30,000 sq ft
  • Slots: 1,000 machines
  • Table games: 12 table games

Introductory Casino (2026)

  • Open now: 24/7 operation since May 20, 2026
  • Gaming floor: 80,000 sq ft
  • Slots: 1,350 machines
  • Live Table games: 22 table games
  • Electronic Table Games: 36 electronic table games
  • Sportsbook: Dedicated area with 9 self-service kiosks
  • High-limit: High-limit room with 60 slot machines

Permanent Casino (2027)

  • Gaming floor: 300,000+ sq ft
  • Slots: 4,300 machines (projected)
  • Table games: 100 table games (projected)
  • Sportsbook: Planned
  • High-limit: High-limit gaming areas included

Restaurants & bars

  • 11 restaurants: includes steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace buffet, cafe, other dining venues, grab-and-go
  • 11 bars: includes center bar and sports lounge

Hotel & resort

  • Hotel tower: 24 stories
  • Rooms: 385 rooms
  • Suites: Included in future phases
  • Pool: Planned
  • Spa: Planned
  • Retail: Retail and gift shops planned

Entertainment & events

  • Event center: Planned
  • Concert venue: Under consideration
  • Meeting rooms: Planned
  • Outdoor spaces: Landscaped plaza and gathering areas
Table Games
Table Games

Location & site overview

Address: 538 Kings Mountain Blvd, Kings Mountain, NC 28086
Region: Greater Charlotte area
Access: Direct access from I-85 at Exit 5

The location is near the state line with South Carolina and offers convenient access for visitors from Charlotte, Gastonia, and the surrounding region.

Latest news about Catawba Two Kings Casino

News Two Kings Introductory Casino Quietly Opened Today After Last-Minute Confirmation May 20, 2026 - The long-anticipated Introductory Casino at the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort is officially opening its doors today ... Read more NewsCatawba Two Kings Resort | Construction Update (Dec. 2025) December 30, 2025 - This photograph of the Catawba Two Kings construction site was taken on Dec. 17 and shows the current progress of the casino in the foreground and the ... Read more NewsCatawba Two Kings Casino celebrates major construction milestone October 26, 2025 - Catawba Nation will celebrate a major milestone tomorrow at the construction site of the Two Kings Casino when the final beam is hoisted into ... Read more


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Background History of Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort

Native American tribes require federal recognition and federal approval before building a casino under the Indian Gaming Regulation Act. The Catawba received federal recognition in 1993 and is the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina.

In September 2013 the Catawba tribe took its first major step towards building a casino when it filed an application with the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs for a land trust and casino rights on 16 acres near Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The ancestral homeland of the Catawba stretched from South Carolina, through North Carolina and into southern Virginia.

Since the Catawba Nation filed its application in 2013, there was five years of delays and no action by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This prompted South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham to introduce the bill in March 2019 to bypass the BIA and approve the application by an act of Congress.

The U.S. Department of Interior finally granted federal approval for the Catawba Two Kings Casino in March 2020.

The Catawba casino plan was initially estimated to cost $273 million for the casiino, hotel, entertainment center, restaurants and stores. A temporary slots casino opened July 1, 2021 to operated during the construction period of the permanent casino.

Two Kings Casino History

Casino Application
The Catawba Nation applied with the U.S. Department of Interior to build a casino in Kings Mountain, NC, under terms of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

Federal Approval
The U.S. Department of Interior granted approval for the Kings Mountain casino project on March 12, 2020.

Gaming Compact
On Jan. 22, 2021 the Catawba Nation annouonced the signing of a gaming compact with the state governor that will allow Class III gaming at the casino. Class III are "house-banked" slot machines and table games. Without the compact the Two Kings Casino would be limited to Class II gaming, which is non-banked casino games played against other players.

Temporary Casino
A temporary casino with 500 slot machines opened July 1, 2021. It later expanded to 1,000 slot machines at the end of 2021. A 24-hours sportsbook was added in Sep. 2022. The facility operated until Phase 1 of construction was completed and the Introdutory Casino was opened.

Construction Delayed
Construction of the permanent casino resort was scheduled to begin after the opening of the temporary casino. However, in July 2022 it was learned that a federal investigation has delayed the project and no start date was announced.

Construction Begins
Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on June 7, 2024.

Introductory Casino
The first permanent casino venue opened in March $$$, 2026 after nearly two years of construction.

Construction Phase 2
Construction will continue on a to 385-room hotel, entertainment center, and retail stores. These new venues will open in Spring 2027.



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