The North Carolina tribe of Cherokee Indians are ready to launch their new casino, the Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River, to provide a further hold on the region as well as see a nice increase in revenues. The gambling industry may be slow growing at the moment but the new casino should help to boost the offerings of the tribe.

The casino is set to open on the 28th of September and will be located in the western corner of the state in Murphy. The casino will offers blackjack and slot gaming, closer to Atlanta, which is sure to bring in more player traffic. The $110 million property will be a success if the overall visits are increased or visitors from the larger resort offered by the Cherokee, just 60 miles away, come to play.

The company behind each casinos 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 is an indicator 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 resort of the tribe. Bringing in more customers from the Atlanta area, the facility will also be able to bring in visitors from Knoxville and Chattanooga.

The expansion is favorable due to the absence of a casino gaming experience of Las Vegas merits in Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and South Carolina. The bringing in of players from neighboring states should also warrant visits to the additional casino property about an hour away.

In regards to employment at the resort, Hicks states that the current resort has 85% of employees who are not members of the Cherokee Tribe. The ratio should be higher after the new site opens, providing 900 employment positions in the area.