'This is an ambitious project, but we are confident that it will be a success for our customers, our tribe and for the surrounding community.' 'Our winning partnership with Caesars Entertainment gives us a proven track record in the gaming industry,' Principal Chief Michell Hicks said in a statement. The new casino and hotel is owned by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians but operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp. They say the new casino and hotel will create 900 jobs and inject as much as $39 million in wages into the western North Carolina mountains.
Tribal leaders held a ceremonial kick-off Tuesday outside Murphy for the $110 million project.
North Carolina's Cherokee Indians are moving ahead with plans to build a second casino.
