KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. — Hundreds of people gathered Friday morning as the Catawba Nation broke ground on its expansion of Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain.
Robert Keesee, a Catawba tribe member, told Channel 9 that this moment has been a long time coming.
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“You hear so many things like, ‘When is this going to start or when is this going to happen?’ Well, it finally has,” he said. “It’s an exciting day. Glad it’s finally happening.”
Just 35 minutes from Uptown Charlotte, the $700 million project will create nearly 2,000 new jobs.
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“It brings more revenue to this county, and it helps the Indians out. I’m really happy about that,” resident Lewis Fox said.
The Catawba Nation has been operating in its temporary casino since 2021. Fox said he has gone a few times and he has been looking forward to the facelift and new slot-playing machines.
“Well, I know I’m not going to win every time. Maybe once in a while, I’ll win a little bit. If I lose that’s OK,” Fox said.
3D models of the establishment showed 4,000 slot machines, 100 table games, and multiple restaurants will be inside the new casino.
“Totaling over two 2,260,000 square feet. And so it will be an absolute world-class destination resort for gaming and entertainment,” said construction company president Aaron Thomas.
Thomas said it wasn’t just a groundbreaking, but also a path toward empowerment.
“You’re doing it with a great group of people with historic ties to this part of North Carolina. And you’re while you’re enjoying great entertainment, you’re also building up the nation,” Thomas said.
The casino is set to open in early 2026 and Fox said he is already counting down the days.
“Once it opens up, I’ll be up here. It won’t be all the time but it’ll be every now and then,” Fox elaborated.
(WATCH BELOW: Permanent casino resort in Kings Mountain gets green light)
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