Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort

Overview

Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) and managed by Caesars Entertainment under a long-term management contract. The property is the largest and finest casino resort in the southeastern United States — and one of the most scenic, situated in the Qualla Boundary (the EBCI's tribal land) at the gateway to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the United States.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are the descendants of those Cherokee who escaped or evaded the 1838 Trail of Tears removal to Oklahoma, hiding in the mountains of western North Carolina and eventually securing the right to remain on a small portion of their ancestral homeland. Their casino enterprise, which began with bingo in 1976 and expanded to full casino gaming in 1997, has transformed the EBCI's economic circumstances and funded extraordinary tribal programs in healthcare, education, language preservation, and cultural revitalization.

The casino is the economic anchor of the entire mountain tourism economy in western North Carolina, and its success has made the EBCI one of the wealthiest Native American governments east of the Mississippi. Per-capita payments from casino revenue to enrolled tribal members are substantial enough to have measurably improved educational outcomes — a well-studied effect that has made EBCI's gaming enterprise a model for tribal economic development nationally.

Gaming

3,000+ slot machines and 150+ live table games across a 150,000 sq ft gaming floor. The poker room hosts World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit events and is one of the finest in the Southeast. The sportsbook operated through the EBCI's own online gaming platform serves North Carolina sports bettors. The high-limit salon accommodates premium players.

Hotel

The 1,108-room Cherokee Grand Hotel is the largest hotel in North Carolina — a 21-story tower completed in 2015 following a major expansion that doubled the hotel's capacity. The Ruth's Chris Spa is a full-service luxury spa. The rooftop Brio pool overlooks the Great Smoky Mountains.

Entertainment & Dining

The Cherokee Event Center (2,000 seats) hosts major concert events and boxing. Celebrity dining includes Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The EBCI also operates the Museum of the Cherokee People (adjacent to the casino complex) which provides world-class cultural interpretation of Cherokee history and culture for the 10+ million annual Great Smoky Mountains visitors.

Getting There

Located at 777 Casino Dr, Cherokee, NC 28719, on US-19 at the main entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Approximately 50 miles west of Asheville. Free self-parking and valet available.