Significant construction has been completed during the first year of work on the $1 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino Resort in Kings Mountain, N.C., a site off Interstate-85 only 35 miles from Charlotte and close to the South Carolina border.

Construction on all aspects of the project is in full swing, with the foundations for the casino complex and hotel completed several months ago, the casino complex at its full height and expanding horizontally, and steel continuing to rise for the 24-story, 385-room hotel. The hotel tower framing is now 10 stories high, with an additional floor being added nearly every week. At completion, the hotel will be connected to the casino complex.

The casino complex includes the introductory casino on the first level, three levels of covered parking, a back-of-house level and top level with the main casino floor and restaurants. The introductory casino, set to open in spring 2026, will include 1350 slot machines, 20 table games, a 40-seat restaurant, a bar, sports betting kiosks, and Lucky North Rewards desk.

The introductory casino will replace the current temporary (prelaunch) casino, which continues to grow in popularity as it nears its fourth anniversary on July 1.

The main casino complex is targeted to open in 2027. It will be about 2 million square feet and feature:

• 4300 slot machines

• 100 table games

• 11 dining outlets, including a steakhouse, Italian restaurant, marketplace with six venues, café, and grab-and-go outlet

• A players lounge

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• 11 bars, including a center bar and sports bar

• A 2700-space parking garage built under the casino complex and 800 surface parking spaces

The project has created hundreds of construction jobs. Upon completion, the casino resort will employ an estimated 2200 regional residents and citizens of the Catawba Nation.

“This casino resort will be an economic game changer for Catawba citizens and a force to drive the economy of Cleveland County and the City of Kings Mountain. This project is a testament to our resilience, our commitment to self-sufficiency, and our determination to build a better future for ourselves and our future generations,” Catawba Nation Chief Brian Harris said.

Harris noted the temporary casino is contributing to many community and charitable organizations in the region, and that will only increase as the full casino resort opens.

The project is being led by the Catawba Nation Gaming Authority under Vice President Trent Troxel, with Yates-Metcon as the construction general contractor; Delaware North as the gaming management, development and hospitality consultant; and SOSHNY Design architects.

“Once again, I want to thank the Cleveland County, City of Kings Mountain, federal and state leaders who have supported the Catawba Nation’s efforts develop the casino resort in its ancestral lands in North Carolina,” Harris said.

Work has also been completed on two key infrastructure projects for development of the permanent casino resort that were funded by the Catawba Nation: doubling the size of the Dixon School Road Bridge over I-85 near the casino entrance and installing new sewer lines near the casino.

Hyperscale Data Inc, a diversified holding company, announced that the $TRUMP meme coin is now an accepted payment method on Bitnile.com, the sweepstakes-based social-casino platform operated by Bitnile.com Inc, an indirectly wholly owned subsidiary of Hyperscale Data.

Players can now use $TRUMP to purchase coin packages used to enter a wide range of casino-style social games on Bitnile.com, including slots, poker, and blackjack. Bitnile.com now accepts both the $NILE coin and the $TRUMP coin as payment methods and plans to roll out additional cryptocurrencies over the coming months.

Joe Spaziano, Chief Executive Officer of Bitnile.com, said: “We are happy to provide players an additional onboarding option and will continue to work on accepting additional cryptocurrencies throughout 2025. Our goal is to provide players with multiple options to play on Bitnile.com. On or about July 1, 2025, we will also accept $PEPE, marking three meme coins as an accepted payment method on Bitnile.com, with more expected to come this year.”

Hard Rock Bet announced the launch of Legendary Reward Drops, a new online rewards program that will engage players with monthly Levels and guaranteed weekly rewards and promotions. In addition, Hard Rock Bet has fully integrated into Unity by Hard Rock™, where play on Hard Rock Bet will simultaneously earn players Unity Points, Unity Tier Credits, and Level Credits to ‘level up’ towards more valuable weekly Legendary Reward Drops. As a combined rewards and loyalty experience, Legendary Reward Drops and Unity by Hard Rock will create unparalleled value, benefits, and omnichannel opportunities for Hard Rock Bet players.

The new Legendary Reward Drops will provide players with valuable weekly rewards like bonus bets, parlay insurance, and Unity Point multipliers – all suspensefully presented through an immersive experience of a custom guitar case unveiling the contents of each Drop. The program features eight monthly levels that will provide players with Drops of increasing value based on their play. Players will be able to track their progress towards ‘leveling up’ within the rewards experience.

Hard Rock Bet has also streamlined its loyalty program through Unity by Hard Rock, providing players with a true omnichannel experience and the ability to earn and redeem incredible rewards at participating Hotels, Cafes, Casinos, Rock Shops, and more. Additionally, rewards in the online Rewards Store have been upgraded to recently include merchandise, local concert tickets, and hotel stays at resort properties in Hollywood, Punta Cana, and the Maldives.

“We’re proud to offer our players the best of both worlds: A rewards program with guaranteed weekly Drops and an unparalleled global loyalty program with Unity by Hard Rock. With our combination of a top-rated product and omnichannel benefits that can score players concert tickets, enhance their play, and send them on vacations around the world, we’ve created a connected entertainment experience and further solidified Hard Rock Bet as the best place to play,” said Mike Primeaux, Hard Rock Bet’s Executive Managing Director – Chief Operating Officer.