Considering bills from the last five years, none have been declined but rather forgotten. Since 2017, multiple bills have been introduced, not just for casinos but sports betting and poker, which don’t advance or fail to gain enough support from the committee. The tranquil location of Valley River - as well as Harrah’s Cherokee - is an anomaly compared to the sensory assault of Las Vegas, the family-cluttered boardwalk of Atlantic City, N.J., and the touristy Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, Miss.Georgia isn’t necessarily strict with gambling laws, but lawmakers can’t seem to agree on how to proceed. Lambert targets first-year payroll in the range of $32 million to $39 million, and the casino is expected to attract 1 million to 1.5 million visitors annually. Upon opening, the new casino and 300-room hotel will employ 800-900, with the majority coming from within a 50-mile radius, including the North Georgia communities. Valley River resides on 45 acres of the 95 that the tribe owns in Murphy, which means there is plenty of room for expansion. The gaming floor was about the same size as Valley River’s, but the property didn’t include a hotel or table games, and alcohol sales were verboten until late 2009. Neighboring the Diamond Lounge is a high-limit gaming area with about 115 games and three overhead monitors that will likely be tuned to sporting events.Ī small area of the casino floor offers refuge for nonsmokers (about 60 games are expected to reside there) and a high-tech flooring system is designed to facilitate air ventilation.Īs Lambert reminds, when Harrah’s Cherokee first opened in 1997, it was a diminutive version of its current form. “It’s the area for our best guests to recharge, check out the game scores (a couple of flat panels hang overhead) and grab a quick snack,” Lambert said. The new property does include a Diamond Lounge for Total Rewards club Diamond and Seven Stars-level players that will offer light food options and discounted alcoholic beverages (alcohol will also be for sale on the main casino floor and nonalcoholic beverages are complimentary). Its 1,050 slot offerings are about a quarter of those available at Harrah’s Cherokee, and the table games - including blackjack, craps, roulette, three-card poker, Mississippi Stud and mini-baccarat tables - number about half of Harrah’s Cherokee’s 150-plus. Along with the aforementioned amenities offered only at Harrah’s Cherokee, Valley River doesn’t have a buffet (or dining options other than the food market) or a poker room.

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