Openings & Closings

Eastern Cherokees bring gaming market a little closer to Atlanta

Thursday, October 1, 2015

The exterior of the new Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel in Murphy, North Carolina. Photo from Facebook

After 18 years in the gaming business, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina has finally expanded its operation to a new location.

The Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel opened on Monday to large crowds. It's located near the town of Murphy and is the tribe's first foray into the western part of the state.

“The Cherokee have been running casinos for eighteen years and they know how to analyze," Brooks Robinson, the senior vice president and general manager at the flagship Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, told The Daily Yonder.

The analysis included the proximity to Atlanta, Georgia. The area is home to more than 5.2 million people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in the U.S., according to Wikipedia. Cherokee Valley River is not as large as the older facility and it doesn't offer as many amenities but it's a shorter drive.

“If you still want the spa and the event center and big suites and dining options, the resort will still be your choice," Lumpy Lambert, the general manager at Cherokee Valley River, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "But the proximity of Murphy to Atlanta is the big factor.”

Murphy is about 2 hours from Marietta, a suburb of Atlanta. Cherokee is a little over 3 hours.

Get the Story:
Cherokee Roll the Dice on New Casino (The Daily Yonder 10/1)
New Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River casino will offer closest gambling to Atlanta (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 9/24)