Gambling starts this week at new casino 35 miles from Charlotte
The Catawba Indian Nation will open its 500-slot North Carolina gaming facility this week, tribal leaders said Tuesday.
Players can begin gambling at noon Thursday at the Catawbas’ Two Kings Casino Resort pre-launch facility off Interstate 85 exit 5 in Kings Mountain, about 35 miles west of Charlotte.
Doors will open after a ceremonial ribbon-cutting scheduled for 9:30 that morning, according to leaders of the Rock Hill, S.C.,-based tribe.
Open 24/7, the single-story facility will feature slot machines by seven manufacturers, a snack bar and a service bar.
Work on a larger casino building is scheduled to begin by year’s end and take about a year to finish on already cleared land near the current facility, according to Delaware North officials. Delaware North is the project consultant.
That building will include about 1,300 slot machines, along with table games, a restaurant and a bar, according to Chuck Kilroy of Delaware North.
The building will be the first part of the planned $273 million Two Kings Casino Resort, for which no construction timetable is set, Delaware North officials said.
Slot machines near Charlotte
Upon this week’s opening, the “Buffalo” and “Wheel of Fortune” machines will be the most popular of the offerings, based on their use at other casinos across the country, Kilroy told The Charlotte Observer on a recent media tour of the site.
Only adults age 21 and older will be allowed to enter.
The parking lot has 649 spaces, and an outside area will accommodate food trucks and dining, according to Delaware North officials. Smoking will be permitted only in outside, designated areas, they said.
This story was originally published June 29, 2021 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Gambling starts this week at new casino 35 miles from Charlotte."