Michell Hicks, chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee, wants the state to allow the tribe to employ live dealers at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino.
Negotiations for live dealers and table games — slot machines, craps, roulette and other Las-Vegas style games in addition to live card dealers — stalled last year when a video poker company brought suit against the state. The suit claimed the governor had no legal right to negotiate with the tribe for increased gaming freedom.
The announcement was made at a celebration over the tribe’s intention to expand the gambling resort. The $650 million project will be the largest construction project in the southeastern US. The tribe increased its total debt to almost $1 billion in order to foot the bill. Hicks, who is running for reelection, says he has a plan for eradicating the debt.
He would like to diversify the economy. Currently, 87% of the tribe’s income comes from the casino. Proceeds are split evenly between tribe members and tribal government. Hicks advocates a return to the manufacture and marketing of the kind of Indian trinkets one used to see sold at roadside stands. Legalizing live dealers would bring in gamblers from across the country and create jobs.
