VOL 26 ISSUE 25, June 23, 2025
Significant construction has been completed during the first year of work on the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, N.C., for which Delaware North serves as a key consultant.
Construction on all aspects of the project is in full swing, with the foundations for the casino complex and hotel completed several months ago, the casino complex at its full height and expanding horizontally, and steel continuing to rise for the 24-story, 385-room hotel. The hotel tower framing is now 10 stories high, with an additional floor being added nearly every week. At completion, the hotel will be connected to the casino complex.
On June 17, leaders from Delaware North and the Catawba Nation invited local media to a hard-hat tour through the construction site, showcasing the progress made and highlighting the importance of the project for the entire area. The event has received extensive media coverage, including stories on WSOC-TV and WCNC-TV in Charlotte, Casino.org, Casino Life magazine and Yahoo.
“This casino resort will be an economic game changer for Catawba citizens and a force to drive the economy of Cleveland County and the City of Kings Mountain,” Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said. “This project is a testament to our resilience, our commitment to self-sufficiency and our determination to build a better future for ourselves and our future generations.”
The project has created hundreds of construction jobs. Upon completion, the casino resort will employ an estimated 2,200 regional residents and citizens of the Catawba Nation.
Harris noted the temporary casino is contributing to many community and charitable organizations in the region, and that will only increase as the full casino resort opens.
Photo caption: Leaders from Delaware North and the Catawba Nation on June 17 invited local media to a hard-hat tour through the construction site of the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, N.C., for which Delaware North serves as a key consultant. Pictured at left (from left to right) are Chuck Kilroy, general manager for Delaware North at Two Kings Casino; Brian Hansberry, group president of gaming; and Trent Troxel, vice president of the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority.
Delaware North and other partners help drive development forward
The casino complex includes the introductory casino on the first level, three levels of covered parking, a back-of-house level and top level with the main casino floor and restaurants. The introductory casino, set to open in spring 2026, will include 1,350 slot machines, 20 table games, a 40-seat restaurant, a bar, sports betting kiosks and Lucky North Rewards desk.
The introductory casino will replace the current temporary (prelaunch) casino, which continues to grow in popularity as it nears its fourth anniversary on July 1.
The project is being led by the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority under Vice President Trent Troxel, with Yates-Metcon as the construction general contractor; Delaware North as the gaming management, development and hospitality consultant; and SOSHNY Design architects.
“Once again, I want to thank the Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain, federal and state leaders who have supported the Catawba Nation’s efforts to develop the casino resort in its ancestral lands in North Carolina,” Harris said.
The main casino complex is targeted to open in 2027. It will be about 2 million square feet and feature:
- 4,300 slot machines
- 100 table games
- 11 dining outlets, including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace with six venues, café and grab-and-go outlet
- A players lounge
- 11 bars, including a center bar and sports bar
- A 2,700-space parking garage built under the casino complex and 800 surface parking spaces
Work has also been completed on two key infrastructure projects for development of the permanent casino resort that were funded by the Catawba Nation: doubling the size of the Dixon School Road Bridge over I-85 near the casino entrance and installing new sewer lines near the casino.
You can view drone footage of the construction here.