Cherokee Indians to open new casino this September

The North Carolina tribe of Cherokee Indians are set to launch its new casino, the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, to provide a further hold on the region as well as a boost in revenues.

The $110m casino, which is scheduled to open on September 28th, will be located in the western corner of the state at Murphy in Cherokee County, North Carolina. The casino will offer blackjack and slot gaming, bringing in more customers from the Atlanta, Knoxville and Chattanooga.

The tribe—the only casino operator in North Carolina—believes that the new Murphy site could be cannibalistic with player traffic but should accommodate the overflow and draw gamblers in for day’s trips from the neighboring states. The gambling revenues of the tribe have been increasing quickly which indicates that there is still room for the industry to grow in the area.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians outgoing principal chief, Michell Hicks, stated that research shows that new casino has the potential to increase the market without harming the existing Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort on the Qualla Boundary.