North Carolina: Harrah's Cherokee Valley River casino breaks ground on $275M expansion

Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel has broken ground on its planned $275 million expansion. Representatives for Caesars Entertainment and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) held a ceremony celebrating the commencement of the development at the Murphy, North Carolina property, located in the western part of the state.

The multi-million investment calls for the expansion of the casino floor by 25,000 square feet to add 400 slot machines, 12 table games, a 10-table World Series of Poker (WSOP) branded room, and a 22-seat bar with 14 tabletop gaming units. It will also see the property nearly double the number of hotel rooms available, with 296 additional guestrooms, through a new hotel tower that will also include an indoor pool and fitness center.

The parties are also working on a new restaurant concept and a nearly 10,000-square-foot full-service spa and salon. Additionally, the expansion calls for 1,700 additional parking spaces, and six electric charging stations.

According to Caesars, the $275 million project will create more than 2,500 construction jobs and once completed, expected sometime in 2024, Harrah’s intends to hire an additional 100 team members to operate the new facilities. The expansion comes as the resort celebrates seven years in operation.

Today marks 7 YEARS! 🎉 Share with us your favorite memories over the years and take a look at these opening day throwbacks! pic.twitter.com/jXk0BUAbXW

— HarrahsValleyRiver (@HarrahsValRiv) September 28, 2022

The project underway builds upon a sports betting expansion earlier this year, with both Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River and Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – the tribe’s larger sister property in the state – now offering in-person wagering at Caesars Sportsbooks.

The project also marks the second expansion phase for the resort, which first opened in 2015. The first was completed in 2017 and saw the addition of 41,000 square feet of non-gaming entertainment, through new amenities such as a sports bar, a bowling alley, and an arcade. However, that expansion was much cheaper and smaller in scale, with a cost of $13 million.

General Manager Lumpy Lambert said: “Since opening day we have continued to exceed all expectations set for us. We are grateful for the continued support we have received and look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy new experiences in 2024.”