‘Pre-launch’ casino facility with 500 slot machines to open in Kings Mountain, N.C. this summer

CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV/AP) - The Catawba Nation announced it will fast-track the opening of the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort project in Kings Mountain by opening a “pre-launch” facility this summer with 500 slot machines.

The pre-launch facility, which will be constructed using prefabricated modular structures, will provide an initial opportunity for patrons to game with limited food & beverage and other guest amenities.

This comes after the federal government approved a revenue-sharing agreement between the Catawba Indian Nation and the state of North Carolina. The Bureau of Indian Affairs signed off on the compact last week.

“With the completion of our compact with the State of North Carolina, the Catawba Nation is eager to open the casino as quickly as possible to begin bringing economic benefits and jobs to the state and region,” Catawba Chief Bill Harris said. “We’re working with Delaware North, our consultant on the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort project, as well as our developer, Skyboat Gaming, to make that happen by opening what we are calling a ‘pre-launch’ facility this summer.”

An introductory phase of the full casino is still planned and will feature an additional 1,300 slot machines. It will be a permanent structure that will become part of the full casino. Its construction is expected to take about a year.

The 17-acre casino site off Dixon School Road in Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, is near Interstate 85 and about 35 miles west of Charlotte.

The total $273 million casino resort project is expected to create 2,600 permanent jobs at full buildout and thousands of construction jobs in the region.

In July 2020, leaders of the tribe broke ground on land in Kings Mountain to build the new casino resort.

Local leaders, attorneys and Catawba Nation Chief William Harris all say the casino is happening - and it’s happening fast. They say the space, on Dixon School Road just off I-85, should become that resort as early as spring or summer of next year.

“I don’t know any word that will actually describe what it means to have a righting of a historical wrong,” Harris said. “If we have an opportunity to right a wrong, step toward it not away from it. And that’s what happened here.”

The new casino will cost nearly $300 million and is expected to house restaurants, table games and 1,300 slots.

Catawba Nation worked years for the day.

The groundbreaking came after the tribe won federal approval for the land, and faced a lawsuit against the project by The Eastern Band of Cherokees who operate their own casinos in western North Carolina.

“Indigenous people have had a hard road of hope for many many years,” Harris said. “So if we can come together, then there’s a phrase out there: this is ‘strength in unity.' So instead of doing inner fighting, let’s unite and make something better.”

They say the project will create about 4,000 new jobs and provide economic benefits for Cleveland County and for South Carolina, where the Catawba Nation calls home.

”We’re going to be able to put schools on our reservation because we didn’t have economic development to develop that,” Harris said. “So when we talk about jobs, schools... not only does that effect Catawba, but it effects this area.”

Developers say this would start with a temporary casino, with slots and other games opening first. Then, about 18 more months of work for the full resort to be complete.

“This is an economically depleted area of North Carolina. So yes, Catawba is going to benefit from this, the citizens of Catawba are going to benefit from this,” Harris said. “If times get tougher, economy tightens up, it will effect the phases. So just know that the dollar will drive the development.”

North Carolina currently has two casinos run by the Eastern Band of the Cherokees, who sued the Interior Department and the Catawba tribe last year to try to stop the new casino.

That suit is still pending in federal court.