Cherokee Tribe begins $275m expansion of Murphy casino
Harrah’s Valley River Casino in Murphy, North Carolina, is to undergo a $275m expansion.
US.- Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel has held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of its $275m expansion project, which is expected to reach completion in 2024. The tribe will revamp its Murphy venue with an additional hotel tower, a new restaurant, a hotel lobby café, a spa and indoor pool and additional gaming space and parking.
The project will create more than 2,500 construction jobs and over 100 operational positions upon opening. Planned additions include 25,000 square feet of gaming floor, a 296-room hotel tower and a 12,000 square feet rooftop restaurant.
The expanded gaming floor will provide a 50 per cent increase in gaming and bar space. It will offer 400 new slot machines, 12 additional table games, a 10-table World Series of Poker (WSOP) poker room, 22-seat casino centre bar with 14 tabletop gaming units, eight beer taps plus bar top and lounge seating.
Cherokee Tribe representatives and casino officials took part in the groundbreaking ceremony. The ceremony saw remarks from principal chief Richard Sneed of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Tommy Lambert, tribal casino gaming enterprise chairman.
Brooks Robinson, regional senior vice president & general manager; and Lumpy Lambert, general manager of Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel also took part.
Lambert said: “We are thrilled to gather today to see this project commence. The completion of this project will further enhance our guests’ experience, economic impact to the region and will demonstrate our commitment to remaining a powerhouse in the entertainment industry across the enterprise.”
Lambert added that this will be the second expansion project since opening, with the first expansion completed back in 2017. He said: “We are grateful for the continued support we have received and look forward to welcoming guests to enjoy new experiences in 2024.”
