{"id":13567,"date":"2021-06-29T14:06:45","date_gmt":"2021-06-29T18:06:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=13567"},"modified":"2021-06-29T14:17:56","modified_gmt":"2021-06-29T18:17:56","slug":"catawba-nation-set-for-debut-of-long-awaited-casino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2021\/06\/29\/catawba-nation-set-for-debut-of-long-awaited-casino\/","title":{"rendered":"Catawba Nation set for debut of long-awaited casino"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Catawba<\/a>
Artist’s rendering of the pre-launch facility at the Catawba Two-Kings Casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Image courtesy Catawba Nation<\/figcaption>\r\n
Catawba Nation set for debut of long-awaited casino<\/div>\r\n
Tuesday, June 29, 2021<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Catawba Nation<\/a> is finally opening the first phase of its long-awaited casino in North Carolina.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Catawba Two Kings Casino<\/a> is located in Kings Mountain. The pre-launch facility features 500 slot machines and will employ 250 people.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAt the opening on Thursday, Chief Bill Harris is set to be joined by Mayor Scott Neisler of Kings Mountain and other local officials who have supported the project over the years, amid political and legal controversy.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe tribe has slowly overcome the hurdles since announcing the casino over seven years ago<\/a>. One of the most recent victories was a federal court decision in April<\/a> supporting the placement of about 17 acres in trust for the project.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n \u201cThis decision reaffirms the clear historical record of the Catawba\u2019s ancestral lands and cultural ties in North Carolina and the rigorous process of review undertaken by the U.S. Department of the Interior in taking the land into trust,\u201d Chief Harris said on April 16<\/a>. \u201cThe Interior Department righted a historical wrong, allowing the Catawba to achieve the promise of self-determination through economic development.\u201d\r\n

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Chief Bill Harris of the Catawba Nation announces the name of the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort at a private event in Kings Mountain, North Carolina, on August 28, 2020. Photo by The Catawba Nation\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nA month prior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a> approved the tribe’s Class III gaming compact <\/a>with the state of North Carolina. The government-to-government agreement authorizes the use of slot machines at Catawba Two Kings Casino.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cThis is great news for the Catawba Nation, the State of North Carolina and the Kings Mountain region, and I\u2019d like to thank the Bureau of Indian Affairs for its work in reviewing our compact,\u201d Harris said on March 25<\/a>. \u201cOur focus now is developing the casino to bring economic benefits and thousands of jobs to the citizens of North Carolina.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe tribe has since held two job fairs to fill positions at the pre-launch facility. A wide range of hospitality positions<\/a>, from slot machine technicians and attendants to bartenders and servers, have been available.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n Catawba Nation headquarters are located across the border in South Carolina, where gaming options are severely limited. But the federal law that settled the tribe’s land claim lawsuit<\/a> includes portions of North Carolina in the tribe’s service area.\r\n

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