FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Faster opening of Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort will accelerate job creation for region
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. – The Catawba Nation today 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.
“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.
“It makes sense to have the temporary pre-launch facility to start, and it will continue to operate
during the construction of the introductory phase and possibly subsequent phases,” said Brian
Hansberry, president of Delaware North’s gaming business. “It gives us a place to teach incoming
staff and accommodates people in the region who are anxious to start gaming this summer.”
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.
“This project will prove to be a long-lasting and sustainable economic engine for the residents of
Cleveland County, we are excited about the expedited timeline” said Cleveland County
Commissioner Johnny Hutchins.
“Chief Harris and the members of The Catawba Indian Nation are great partners. Our team looks
forward to continuing to work side by side as the project develops” said Cleveland County Manager
Brian Epley.
The Catawba Nation and the State of North Carolina in January signed a compact that allows the
state to share in revenues generated by the new casino, which will be operated by the Catawba. In
March 2020, the U.S. Department of the Interior, following a thorough, years-long review, took the
17 acres of land into trust for the Catawba Nation. The action recognized the Catawba Nation’s
historical and ancestral ties to its aboriginal lands throughout North Carolina, as evidenced by names
such as Catawba County and Catawba College, as well as in the six counties, including Cleveland
County, specifically identified by Congress as part of the Catawba’s service area. The state compact
acknowledges this connection to North Carolina as well.
In addition to creating revenue for the State of North Carolina, the casino will help support an
education fund that will benefit environmental conservation, provide educational support for
members of federal and state-recognized tribes, support local communities on economic
development initiatives and foster employment opportunities on or near Catawba lands.