The Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain is located just off Exit 5 on Interstate 85, about 35 minutes from Charlotte and just minutes from the South Carolina border. It opened last week, just before the NFL season kicked off.
DRIVE. THEY’RE STILL TRYING TO TRACK DOWN THE SUSPECT WHO THEY BELIEVED TARGETED THE VICTIM. NORTH CAROLINA LAWMAKERS VOTED DOWN A BILL TO LEGALIZE ONLINE SPORTS BETTING. BUT IN PERSON, SPORTS, WAGERING IS NOW AVAILABLE IN 3 PLACES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. >> THE CATAWBA TO CAGE CASINO OUTSIDE OF CHARLOTTE OPEN ITS SPORTS BETTING FACILITY JUST LAST WEEK. WRAL, SPORTS INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER BRIAN MURPHY VISITED KINGS MOUNTAIN FOR THE FIRST NFL SUNDAY AT THE SPORTS BOOK. GIVE US TO GIVE US THE LOWDOWN. BRIAN, WHAT WAS THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE THERE? IT WAS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. IT’S IT’S STILL A SMALL SPACE. THIS ISN’T THEIR FOR PERMANENT FACILITY THAT THEY’RE GOING TO PUT IT IN. >> THERE ARE 50 TO 100 GUYS, MOSTLY MEN IN BETTING ON SPORTS, WATCHING THE GAMES CHEERING AND CELEBRATING WHEN THINGS WHAT THEY’RE WET. OF COURSE, WHEN THINGS DON’T GO YOUR WAY AND A LOT OF SHARING GOING ON. LET’S TALK ABOUT COMPETITION HERE. WILL THIS HURT THE CHEROKEE CASINOS? THEY ALSO OFFER SPORTS BETTING. I THINK IT WILL ALMOST EVERY PERSON I TALKED TO SAID THEY HAD BEEN UP TO THE CHEROKEE CASINOS, BUT THIS WAS A 40 MINUTE DRIVE OR 45 MINUTE DRIVE FROM CHARLOTTE OR THE SURROUNDING AREAS. WHEREAS THE CHEROKEE CASINO IS WE’RE MORE THAN 2 HOURS. IN SOME CASES, 3 HOURS. THE FOUGHT VERY STRONGLY AGAINST THIS CASINO AND TALKING TO PEOPLE. YOU GET THE SENSE OF WHY I THINK IT WILL HAVE A BIG IMPACT. LET’S TALK ABOUT SPORTS BETTING STATEWIDE. WILL THIS DO YOU THINK THIS WILL HAVE ANY TYPE OF IMPACT ON STATE LAWMAKERS WHO LIKELY WILL TAKE UP THE MOBILE SPORTS BETTING LEGISLATION AGAIN IN THE NEW YEAR. I THINK IT HAS TO WRITE THERE’S A LEGAL PLACE WHERE YOU CAN SPEND ON SPORTS RIGHT OUTSIDE OF CHARLOTTE. I THINK THAT WILL ENTER THE CONVERSATION AS THE SUPPORTERS OF THIS TRY TO GET LEGALIZE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. WILL IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE? I’M NOT SURE, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE