One of North Carolina’s favorite casinos now has a smoking section.
Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort has opened a smoking room on the casino floor.
NCSharp confirmed the news with a Harrah’s Cherokee representative. John Mehaffey first reported this in late December.
A closer look at the Harrah’s Cherokee smoking section
The section is fairly new, having opened within the last two weeks. It’s located toward the back of the high-limits section.
The smoking room has slot machines. According to a post on X by John Mehaffey, there are 200 slots for customers to enjoy while smoking.
After nearly 3.5 years of being entirely non-smoking, Harrah’s Cherokee just opened a smoking room with about 200 slots. It is sealed off from the rest of the casino. Harrah’s attributes the decision to “competing gaming options in the area” (VA) where smoking is permitted. https://t.co/rkQOZX8UGI
— John Mehaffey (@John_Mehaffey) December 22, 2023
The smoking area is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Accessing the new smoking room
A Harrah’s Cherokee employee said the smoking section is “pretty accessible from any entrance you come in through.”
The casino recommends parking through the valet service or the self-park parking garage. Customers who want to use the garage can park on any level. Once they exit their vehicle, they should head to level two, where the main casino floor is.
Why did the casino add a smoking section?
According to Mehaffey’s post on X, it was due to competition. Casinos in Virginia allow smoking, and for years, Harrah’s Cherokee was a smoke-free facility.
The representative who confirmed the news with NCSharp didn’t cite a specific reason for bringing back a smoking section, but it appears it was largely due to customer demand. The casino has been entirely smoke-free for nearly four years after previously allowing patrons to smoke.
“I believe there was some pushback on that, so we opened a small section for smoking inside.”
The opening of this smoking room comes amid a push to ban smoking in North Carolina casinos and throughout the country.
What to know about Harrah’s Cherokee
Harrah’s Cherokee is North Carolina’s oldest casino, and in turn, it’s arguably the most popular. The facility often hosts World Series of Poker Circuit events.
Located at 777 Casino Drive in Cherokee, the casino offers 3,400 slot machines, video poker, more than 160 table games and retail sports betting. The Caesars North Carolina sportsbook is a big draw, boasting seven ticket windows, ten self-service kiosks, and a 90-foot wall of multiple television screens. The casino also offers more than 1,100 rooms at its hotel and 15 different restaurants for visitors to enjoy.
About the Author
