Casino news source: Tryon Daily Bulletin - http://www.tryondailybulletin.com/
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino expansion to add 1,000 jobs
February 5, 2007
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians approved this week a casino expansion plan that will double the size of its gambling operation and bring 1,000 new jobs to Western North Carolina.
Construction at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Hotel could start by midyear, with the completion possible by 2010.
The work calls for remodeling the casino, building a third hotel tower larger than each of the current two towers and adding a spa and restaurant, two more parking decks and retail space.
Owned by the Eastern Band and operated by Harrah’s, the casino is the largest private employer west of Asheville with about 1,800 workers.
Casino General Manager Darold Londo said the demand for hotel rooms, more games and restaurants is outpacing supply, making the time right for the $650 million expansion. It will be paid for in part with loans that will be repaid with gambling revenues.
The casino, which started its video-gambling operation 10 years ago, makes an estimated $155 million a year. About half of that is given twice annually to the tribe’s 13,500 members. The rest pays for government services and helps the local economy through grants from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
Principal Chief Michell Hicks said the expansion would show state leaders that the tribe is committed to growing its gambling business. Negotiations between Hicks and Gov. Mike Easley for the right to offer live-dealer card games fell apart almost a year ago over a disagreement about how much money the tribe would share with the state.
“I think that this also sends a message to the state of North Carolina that the Eastern Band is very serious about our investment in this operation,” he said. “Obviously, there have been good returns and our hope is we will continue to grow and the (number of) employees we have right now will grow substantially over the next few years as we expand our operation.”
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