Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel Expansion Progress
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel’s $275 million expansion project continues to move forward, with plans for a larger resort footprint, additional casino space, gaming machines, and a new hotel tower with nearly 300 guest rooms, as well as numerous other amenities.
Lumpy Lambert, General Manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, confirmed that construction has been making swift progress. The casino’s expanded space is said to be ready by mid-2024, followed by the hotel’s scheduled opening in late 2024.
New Lures
When the expansion project was initiated in September 2022, it was expected to add 25,000 square feet of additional casino space, 400 new slots, 12 table games, a 10-table World Series of Poker (WSOP) room, a casino bar with 14 tabletop positions, a 1700-space parking garage, a full-service spa and salon, an indoor pool, and a fitness center.
The expansion aims to attract more visitors to the southwestern part of the state, with hopes to enhance the economic prosperity of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI).
Tribes Maintain Casino Monopoly
Efforts to legalize commercial casinos in North Carolina have stalled for now, allowing the EBCI and Catawba Indian Nation to maintain their casino gambling monopoly through their Class III gaming compacts with the state.
The Tribes may soon face competition from other venues, however, as the state has permitted eight professional sports stadiums and venues to pursue retail sportsbooks and conduct online wagering through third-party partners. The PGA Tour and NASCAR have also been given permission to seek online sportsbook licenses.
While the Tribes currently offer sports betting at their casinos, the expansion of online sportsbooks in North Carolina is expected to impact the traditional betting landscape, with more bets likely to be placed online in the future.