The Catawba Nation, headquartered in York County, cut a ceremonial ribbon Wednesday to mark the opening of the first phase of its Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, and to celebrate five years since the tribe opened a temporary gaming facility on the same site.
Chief Brian Harris led the July 1 ceremony, which drew more than 500 tribal members along with construction crews, gaming partners and other guests. The date carried weight for the Nation. On July 1, 2021, the tribe opened a temporary casino built from prefabricated modular buildings, giving the Charlotte region its first look at the project that has since grown into a resort valued at roughly $1.25 billion.
Harris cast the resort as something larger than a place to gamble. “Let this place become more than a casino,” he said. “Let it become a symbol, a symbol that when the Catawba people stand together, there’s no obstacle too large.”
For readers in York County, the casino is more than a regional attraction. The Catawba Nation is the only federally recognized tribe in South Carolina, and its government is based in the county.
Visitors have been playing the new casino floor since May, when the first phase opened to the public. That phase covers about 500,000 square feet, including two of three planned parking levels. It offers 1,350 slot machines, 22 traditional table games, dozens of electronic table games, a restaurant with 68 seats, a bar with 18 seats and sports betting kiosks.
Harris also used the ceremony to announce that the Nation intends to build two more casinos in North Carolina in the coming years. He declined to name locations, saying only that the tribe was in early negotiations and would announce details once a deal was reached.
Construction on the second phase continues, with the full resort scheduled for completion in spring 2027.
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Assistant Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
