Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Expands Casino Floor, Opens WSOP Room

Posted on: May 28, 2024, 10:47h. 

Last updated on: May 28, 2024, 11:36h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel in Murphy, NC, is in the midst of a $275 million renovation and expansion project. Guests recently began experiencing the overhaul’s features, including a larger gaming space and the introduction of the property’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) Room.

Harrah's Cherokee Valley River North Carolina casino
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel has opened its expanded casino floor and World Series of Poker Room. The North Carolina tribal casino is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. (Image: Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel)

Last Wednesday, the tribal casino owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians that’s operated by Caesars Entertainment unveiled 25,000 square feet of additional gaming space. The casino floor expansion extends the resort’s gaming floor to a total of 75,000 square feet.

The added space allowed the casino to place 300 more slot machines and eight live dealer table games. Just hours after opening the expanded casino space, a lucky player won a $1,605 jackpot on a Double Double Bonus Poker machine.

A central bar with 22 seats with nine bartop video gaming machines was also incorporated.

We are ecstatic to reach this milestone in our expansion process and unveil the expanded gaming floor, which represents the culmination of months of hard work and dedication both from our internal team members and general contractor,” said Lumpy Lambert, general manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River. “Every detail of the casino floor expansion was selected to ensure memorable experiences and we are confident that our new amenities and offerings will exceed our guests’ expectations.”

A long-requested poker room has additionally commenced operations. The WSOP Room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., and until 4 a.m. on the weekends.

The poker room is running cash games until July when weekly $80 No-Limit Hold’em tournaments will begin on Monday and Thursday nights.

Resort Overhaul

Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River is the sister property to the tribe’s larger casino resort, Harrah’s Cherokee, which is about an hour’s drive north in Cherokee. Opened in 2015, Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River primarily targets gamblers in nearby Georgia and Tennessee where casino gambling remains nonexistent.

The $275 million resort overhaul is the resort’s first major renovation. Along with the added gaming space and WSOP poker room, the investment includes a new hotel tower with almost 300 rooms.

A full-service spa and salon and a 1,700-space parking garage are also in the works. The hotel tower will double the destination’s total room allotment. The forthcoming amenities are expected to be finished and open before the end of the year.

Tribal Sovereignty

Tribal leaders are likely breathing a sigh of relief this week after news from the Raleigh capital suggested that Republicans in the General Assembly are losing enthusiasm to pass legislation to authorize commercial casinos.

An effort championed by Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), the state Senate’s president pro tempore, ended in party gridlock last year, with the opposition scolding the powerful lawmaker for seemingly orchestrating a backroom deal to bring Las Vegas resorts to the Tar Heel State. House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) said recently that “hard feelings” will presumably keep casino discussions on hold for the foreseeable future.

Berger has pledged not to reinitiate his casino push.