Officials at the Catawba Indian Nation Casino recently announced the name of their new casino in Kings Mountain, North Carolina—Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort. Catawba Chief Bill Harris said, “Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort celebrates our rich history and hopeful future in our ancestral lands in North Carolina, where our people were established hundreds of years ago, as the names Catawba River, Catawba County and Catawba College suggest The name pays tribute to the 18th century Catawba Chief King Hagler and to the city of Kings Mountain, which will be home to the new casino resort. It also symbolizes the unique relationship that the Catawba people have historically had, and will continue to strengthen going forward, with fellow residents of the region.”
Harris explained, as chief from 1750 to 1763, King Hagler established a peaceful relationship with American colonists in the region, while strongly defending tribal rights. The Catawbas helped protect the colonists and fought for them in Revolutionary War and the French and Indian War; in return the colonists supported the Catawba people.
Harris also revealed the casino’s new logo, depicting a silhouette of King Hagler against an illustration of Kings Mountain.
The South Carolina-based Catawbas received permission in March from the U.S. Department of the Interior to use a 16.75-acre tract to build the casino. The land is within the tribe’s service area defined by Congress through a land claim settlement act.
In July, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, operators of two Harrah’s Cherokee casinos in western North Carolina, filed a lawsuit against the agency and others to stop construction on the casino. Despite that, on July 22 the Catawbas broke ground on the project. Officials said the first phase will open in 2021. The board of commissioners in Buncombe County, located far to the west of Kings Mountain, also oppose the new development.
The first phase of the project will include a casino with 1,796 electronic gaming devices and 54 table games, plus service bars, players’ club and a 940-seat restaurant.
