The Catawba Nation is already looking beyond Kings Mountain, with tribal leaders saying they have identified two additional sites for future casino projects somewhere in North Carolina.
Catawba Chief Brian Harris announced the expansion plans on Wednesday during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first phase of Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort. The $1.2 billion project, located off Interstate 85 at Exit 5 about 35 miles west of Charlotte, marks a major step forward for the tribe’s gaming ambitions in the state.
Speaking to roughly 500 tribal members, elected officials, and guests gathered for the event, Harris made clear that the Kings Mountain property is not intended to be the tribe’s only casino development in North Carolina.
“We got two more casinos to build in this state, and hot dammit we’re going to build them,” Harris said.
After the ceremony, Harris told The Charlotte Observer that the tribe has already chosen both locations, though he said the communities involved are not yet ready to be publicly named.
“I can’t tell you that right now,” Harris said. “It’s all about negotiations. We’ve identified the locations. We’re in preliminary negotiations right now. And once those come to fruition, when we come to deal, we’ll make an announcement.”
Catawba leaders frame Kings Mountain as a starting point
The announcement gives the Kings Mountain opening a broader significance for the Catawba Nation. Rather than treating Catawba Two Kings as a standalone resort, tribal leaders are positioning it as the first piece of a wider gaming strategy in North Carolina.
The newly opened introductory casino includes 1,350 slot machines, 36 electronic table games, 22 traditional table games, a restaurant, bar, sports betting kiosks and a rewards desk.
The full resort is expected to open in spring 2027. Once complete, it is planned to include 4,300 slot machines, 100 live table games, 11 tribal-operated restaurants, 11 bars and a 24-story hotel.
For the Catawba Nation, the project has long been presented as an economic development engine, bringing jobs, tourism and tribal revenue to the region. Harris’ comments suggest the tribe believes there is room for a larger gaming footprint in North Carolina, even as casino expansion remains politically and locally sensitive across the state.
Lumbee voters reject a separate casino path
The Catawba push comes as another North Carolina tribe has moved in the opposite direction.
Lumbee voters recently rejected a proposed change to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina constitution, blocking a path that could have opened the door to future gaming projects and a possible casino resort in Robeson County.
The vote followed months of debate inside the tribe over whether gaming should become part of its economic development strategy after federal recognition was secured in 2025. Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery announced the result on social media after voting ended Tuesday, June 23.
“Tonight, a majority of the Lumbee people have spoken, and they have said no to progress and have decided to stay with the status quo or simply staying with the way things are,” Lowery wrote.
Lowery said he would respect the outcome and would not bring the issue back during the final 18 months of his term.
“As a federally recognized Indian tribe, we had the opportunity, like so many of our brother and sister tribes, to exercise our sovereignty rights to the fullest and generate billions of dollars to assist our tribal members and lift this entire region,” he said. “This decision by the majority of Lumbee voters is historic and ensures we will not move forward with gaming.”
Robeson County casino proposal had divided Lumbee members
Supporters of the Lumbee proposal had pointed to a 241-acre property in Robeson County that the tribe purchased as a possible site for Lumbee Dark Water Resort.
Campaign materials described a large destination development with gaming, hotels, entertainment, retail, water features and convention space. Supporters argued that casino development could create jobs, raise revenue and give the tribe a stronger economic base.
“For generations, the Lumbee people have fought for recognition, opportunity, and a better future,” the campaign wrote. “The question is no longer whether we deserve opportunity. The question is whether we are willing to seize it.”
Opponents raised concerns about governance, oversight and how much authority the proposed constitutional amendment would give tribal leadership. The vote now leaves the future of the Robeson County land unclear, though tribal leaders have said it could still be developed as a business or industrial park.
“I will honor the wishes of the majority,” Lowery said. “I will not bring this issue forward again over the remaining 18 months of my tenure.”
North Carolina tribal gaming landscape moves in two directions
The two developments highlight a split moment for tribal gaming in North Carolina.
In Kings Mountain, the Catawba Nation is cutting the ribbon on the first phase of a major casino resort and openly discussing additional projects. In Robeson County, Lumbee voters have rejected a constitutional change that could have moved their tribe toward a casino strategy of its own.
The contrast does not necessarily end debate over gaming in the state, but it shows how differently tribal communities are approaching the question. For the Catawba Nation, casino development remains central to its economic plans. For the Lumbee Tribe, at least under Lowery’s remaining term, the issue appears settled for now.
What comes next will depend on where the Catawba Nation’s unnamed sites are located, how negotiations progress and how local leaders respond once the tribe is ready to make those plans public.
Featured image: Carl Raw/Unsplash
