Chairman Tommy Lambert told the council that he hopes to break ground in February or March, with the loan expected to close December 1, further reports Smoky Mountain News. The Tribal Council approved a master plan for the expansion during a July 8 meeting, and the loan agreement necessary to start construction was approved on November 4. In its first month, the center hosted 28 groups, and its attached 725-room hotel tower kept 97% occupancy.īut while the announcements show gaming operations are running smoothly, the tribe plans to further capitalize on this success: only half a year after a $330 million expansion in its Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort, the tribal nation hopes to break ground on a $275 million expansion on its Murphy venue. The December tribal distribution only accounted for profits earned from April 1 through September 30. “When compared to the prior-year period, the resort in Cherokee was responsible for 65% of the increased distribution to the tribe.”Īlthough the new record-high distribution is well above the former record set in 2019, it didn’t reflect the early success of the new Cherokee Convention Center, which opened on October 1. “Both casinos performed very well throughout the fiscal year,” said Saunooke on the Cherokee and Murphy venues. It’s worth noting that, throughout last year, the tribe’s gaming operations closed completely from March 18 to May 12. This increase in tribal distributions corresponds both to higher revenues and decreases in operational expenses required earlier in the pandemic.

The increased per capita distributions come despite a 0.79% increase in the number of tribal members receiving them since last year. 30, saw tribal distributions 45% higher than 2020 and 17% up from 2019, casino spokesperson Brian Saunooke said, according to Smoky Mountain News. The 2021 fiscal year, which ended on Sept. A $275 million loan agreement has been approved for the project. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has announced record casino profits and plans for expansion on their Harrah's Cherokee Valley River Casino and Hotel in Murphy, North Carolina. The news comes only half a year after a $330M expansion in the Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort. A $275M loan agreement has been approved for expansion plans on the Valley River Casino and Hotel in Murphy, North Carolina the tribe hopes to break ground in February or March. Tribal distributions for the 2021 fiscal year were 45% higher than 2020 and 17% above 2019.

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