Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel and Caesars Entertainment Celebrate a Continued Relationship

CHEROKEE, N.C., May 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrating the continued relationship between Caesars Entertainment, Inc., and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation, Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel was the setting for commemorative ceremonies on May 20th of the relationship between the Tribe and Caesars for an additional seven years.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110526/NY09807LOGO )

The relationship grants Harrah's NC Casino Company, LLC, a subsidiary of Caesars, the exclusive right and obligation to develop, manage, operate and maintain the Casino operation.  The original agreement began in 1996 and continued for a five-year period.  It was amended in 1999 to last until November 2004, when it was renewed for an additional seven years.  

Official events included remarks by The Honorable Chief Michell Hicks, Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation; Gary Loveman, Chairman, CEO and President of Caesars Entertainment, Inc., and Darold Londo, Sr., Vice President and General Manager of Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel, at a commemorative signing ceremony at the property.

Also present were Caesars management and senior executives, Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribal leaders, government officials and local VIPs, and members of the media.

The occasion marked the official completion of the first phase of the hotel's $650 million expansion that will position Harrah's Cherokee as the premier gaming destination in the Southeast, a world-class resort, entertainment and tourism destination.

Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel is also an important economic powerhouse in the region that put $343 million into the North Carolina economy during 2009 in the form of vendor payments, payroll, charitable contributions, Preservation Fund and Tribal Distribution.  

The Master Plan for the property is currently the largest hospitality expansion project underway in the Southeast and the sixth largest construction project in the United States, offering the greatest number of hotel accommodations in the State.

For more information about Harrah's Cherokee, call (828) 497-7777 or visit the web site at www.harrahscherokee.com.

Contacts:

Joan Bloom/Joan Brower
The Dilenschneider Group
200 Park Avenue, MetLife Building, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10166
Tel. +(212)-922-0900; Fax +(212)-922-0971
E-mail:  [email protected]

Ahinawake Littledave
Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel
777 Casino Drive, Cherokee, NC  28719
Tel. +(828) 497-8815; Fax +(828) 497-8384
E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel