The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina is hiring 650 people this year thanks to a new Class III gaming compact.

The deal authorizes live card dealers at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort. So the tribe is hiring dealers but also additional staff for the growing facility.

"Without this resource, I don't know where Cherokee would be today. Cherokee would likely be continuing to be a struggling tribe," Chief Michell Hicks told Fox Carolina 21.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is still reviewing the tribe's compact so the live dealers probably won't come on board until August, Hicks said.

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Cherokee casino preparing for Vegas-style gaming (Fox Carolina 21 6/27)

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