Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino Expansion Progressing Well
Tribal officials said this week that the $275 million expansion of Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel is progressing well.
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River opened in 2015 as a complement to the tribe’s primary casino, Harrah’s Cherokee. Valley River is located about 40 miles southeast of the larger Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) Casino Resort, which dates back to 1997.
However, Harrah's Cherokee Valley River will soon have a larger resort space with more casino space and slot machines. Lumpy Lambert, general manager of Harrah's Cherokee Valley River, told EBCI's official media news source Cherokee One Feather this week that construction is progressing quickly.
The expanded casino area should be completed by mid-2024, with the hotel aiming to open later in 2024, casino managers said.
New Bait
In September 2022, The Tribe broke ground on a $275 million project that will add 25,000 square feet of casino space with 400 new slot machines, 12 table games and a 10-table World Series of Poker (WSOP) room, as well as Casino bar with 14 tables.
A new hotel tower will add nearly 300 guest rooms to the destination, as well as an indoor pool and fitness center. A 1,700-space garage and a full-service spa and salon will also be built.
One of the reasons for the expansion is to give guests more reasons to visit the southwestern part of the state, home to Harrah's Cherokee Valley River. The tribal estate relies on visitors from Tennessee and Georgia, where there are currently no casinos.
We recognized the need for expansion when we opened eight years ago," said Lambert."We absolutely look forward to the opportunity to grow and expand our market. "
Lambert said the new facility will create approximately 100 permanent jobs and the revenue generated will further support EBCI’s economic prosperity.
“The expansion will not only help further the development of tribal programs, but also assist tribes in providing distribution and employment opportunities for enrolled members,” Lambert added. “Supporting tribal distribution and tribal programming is our primary goal at EBCI.”
Tribe maintains casino monopoly
Earlier this year, the state's legislative effort to legalize commercial casinos in the capital, Raleigh, failed. However, efforts to move casino resorts from Las Vegas to the Tar Heel State are expected to resume next year.
State Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) supports the commercial casino project. Currently, EBCI and the Catawba Indian Nation maintain a monopoly on casino gambling through a Tier III gambling treaty with the state.
Tribes are losing control of sports betting after state lawmakers legalized commercial sports betting this year. The state allows eight professional sports venues to operate retail sports betting and online betting through third-party partners. The PGA Tour and NASCAR can also apply for online sports betting licenses.
The tribes can only offer sports betting at three casinos within their territories. In addition to the two EBCI Harrah's casinos, the Catawbas family also owns a temporary casino called Two Kings and hopes to build a permanent resort at Kings Mountain.
When online sports betting comes online in North Carolina, some tribal betting may move online. In states that allow online sports betting, most bets are placed over the Internet.
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Source: www.casino.org
