Catawba Indian tribe to begin construction on $700m North Carolina casino

The Catawba Indian tribe announced on May 31 that it will begin construction on a $700m casino property in North Carolina, with a ground-breaking ceremony expected to take place on June 7. Currently, the tribe is based in South Carolina but operates a single-level temporary casino at the location.
The North Carolina property will be located in Kings Mountain, about 35 miles south of Charlotte, one of the biggest and most populated cities in the state. The new project should create nearly 2,000 jobs for residents in the state according to a press release from the Catawba tribe.
Tribal officials said they plan to open the first phase of their permanent Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in early 2026. The ground-level first phase will include 1,350 slots and electronic table games, 12 table games and a 40-seat restaurant with a sportsbook area attached.
The tribe is able to move forward with the casino project after finalizing a private settlement in early May with its former casino developer, SkyBoat Gaming, over the ground lease for its trust lands.
In 2022, the National Indian Gaming Commission found that the original development contract between the tribe and SkyBoat Gaming violated federal law. The gaming commission ruled SkyBoat Gaming held too much ownership and authority over the project, which is meant to benefit the nearly 3,000 Catawba members within the tribe.
The recent settlement with SkyBoat Gaming removed the company from any interest in the casino project. SkyBoat Gaming helped the tribe acquire 17 acres of land in Kings Mountain, NC and assisted in placing that ownership into a land trust for the casino project.
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