As North Carolina lawmakers debate legalizing online sports gambling in the state, a third in-person facility will begin accepting sports wagers this fall.

The Catawba Nation-owned Two Kings Casino, located in Kings Mountain, plans to open a sports book before the start of football season, Delaware North spokesman Glen White told WRAL News on Friday. Delaware North, a gaming operator, has been consulting on the project since at least 2020. Two Kings is operating out of a temporary facility as the Catawba Nation plans its permanent casino resort.

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The first college football games will be played Aug. 27. The NFL season kicks off Sept. 8.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have two casinos on their land in far-western North Carolina. The Harrah's-branded casinos opened their sports books in March 2021.

In 2019, North Carolina lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to allow sports wagering and betting on horse races at gaming facilities located on Tribal land, where casino-style gaming was already allowed. The bill passed 43-7 in the Senate and 90-27 in the House and was signed into law by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.

An effort to legalizing online sports gambling for adults located in North Carolina through mobile apps stalled this week in the North Carolina House. Two bills, working in tandem, would have allowed the state to license at least 10 and up to 12 mobile wagering operators in the state to begin taking bets after Jan. 1, 2023. The House gave preliminary approval to one on a 51-50 vote, but voted down the other on a 50-51 vote. The future of the legislation is uncertain.

Under the proposed legislation, federally recognized Indian tribes that are authorized to have casino-style games under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act were guaranteed approval as a licensed interactive sports wagering operator. The Cherokee and the Catawba are the only tribes that have agreements with the state to offer casino-style gaming.

Two Kings Casino is 35 miles west of Charlotte. The temporary facility is located off Interstate 85.