The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians saw a 6 percent drop in gaming revenues in 2009, according to the Indian Gaming Industry Report.
The decline was greater than the 4 percent drop the tribe saw the year before. But revenues are picking up, communications manager Craig Day said. "The property is cautiously optimistic about recent financial performance and future revenue growth," Harrah's Cherokee Casino said in a statement to The Asheville Citizen-Times. The tribe distributes half of its gaming profits to its members twice a year. The most recent payment was $3,509, the paper reported. Get the Story: