Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort Plans $120 Million Thoroughbred Racetrack

Posted on: February 4, 2026, 12:24h. 

Last updated on: February 4, 2026, 12:25h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • The Catawba Nation in North Carolina is planning a thoroughbred racetrack
  • The racetrack will complement the tribe’s forthcoming Two Kings Casino Resort
  • The horse racetrack likely won’t open until 2030

The Catawba Nation’s permanent Two Kings Casino Resort hasn’t yet opened, but the tribe is already looking to the future with subsequent expansion developments.

Catawba Nation Two Kings Casino horse racetrack
A rendering of the forthcoming Catawba Nation Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, NC. The North Carolina tribal casino resort destination will include a thoroughbred horse racetrack in the coming years. (Image: Catawba Nation)

The first phase of the permanent Two Kings Casino Resort, described as an “introductory” casino, includes an 80K-square-foot facility with 1,350 slot machines, 22 live dealer table games, and sports betting kiosks. A restaurant and bar, a rewards desk, and 800 surface parking lots are included. The initial casino will replace modular trailers that have housed the temporary Two Kings Casino, which has operated since July 2021.

Before 2028, the federally recognized tribe plans to complete the entirety of the resort destination in North Carolina’s Kings Mountain. The property is located about 35 miles west of Charlotte off Exit 5 of Interstate 85.

The completed resort will feature a sprawling casino with 4,300 slots, 100 tables, a sportsbook, and a 24-story, 385-key hotel. Eleven restaurants and bars and an underground parking garage with 2,700 spaces are also planned.

That’s not all that’s set to entertain guests, as the tribe says it will embark on a $120 million thoroughbred horse racetrack.

North Carolina Horse Racing

North Carolina legalized parimutuel wagering through the state’s sports betting bill in 2023. However, while sports betting debuted the following year, parimutuel wagering on both live and simulcast horse racing remained on hold.

The original parimutuel betting law didn’t entice any advanced deposit wagering (ADW) firms to bite on the $1 million licensing fee and 1% tax on all wagers. The bill additionally disqualified slot-like historical horse racing (HHR) machines as a permitted form of parimutuel betting.

There is optimism among the North Carolina General Assembly that a revised measure will make the parimutuel wagering market more attractive to operators. In the meantime, the Catawba Nation is seeking to use its federal gaming privileges to initiate parimutuel wagering.

Calling it a “natural evolution of our gaming enterprise,” the Catawba Nation is planning a thoroughbred horse racetrack adjacent to the Two Kings Casino Resort. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has ruled that parimutuel wagering is a form of Class III gaming, the same classification as Las Vegas-like slot machines and live dealer table games.

The Catawba Nation says the track facility will “diversify” the tribe’s gaming portfolio while creating substantial employment opportunities and tribal revenue.

Horse Racing Mecca? 

Parimutuel wagering remains prohibited in Georgia and South Carolina. That means the Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort Racetrack, situated just north of the Carolinas border, will have a far-reaching regional monopoly on horse betting.

Bettors, however, will need to wait several years, as the Catawba development plan specifies that the track likely won’t open until 2030.