By Melissa Ruggieri
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Walk into Harrah’s Cherokee these days and the place is unrecognizable.
Or, at least it is to those who haven’t visited the casino/hotel in a few years.
Since 2008, the closest gaming facility to Atlantans — at less than a scenic 3-hour drive — has gradually undergone a $633 million property expansion.
A new hotel tower (bringing total room count to 1,108), the impressive Chef’s Stage Buffet, a food court, the 3,000-seat Event Center, retail shops and a seemingly constantly growing casino floor (it will end up with about 4,100 games) with a non-smoking area have all emerged in the past 20 months alone.
But that’s no secret to the thousands of area residents who regularly drive north. Harrah’s Cherokee research shows that outer markets such as Charlotte and Atlanta constitute 80 percent of the casino’s business, with Atlanta “far outpacing Charlotte,” said Leeann Bridges, vice president of marketing at the gaming facility.
The additions are striking, and they undoubtedly put the casino nestled in North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains on par with its brethren in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
But a law recently passed by North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue is an unmitigated game-changer.