THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 30, 1995 TAG: 9501300043
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHEROKEE LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
The lure of easy money and the novelty of the only legalized gambling in North Carolina drew more than 1,800 people to the Cherokee tribe's casino here during its first week of operation, tribal officials said.
Hundreds of gamblers like Beverly and John Tutterow of Lincolnton were looking for a little poker action in the tribe's mirrored gambling arcade on the reservation here. Most were not high rollers looking for big scores.
The Tutterows spent most of Friday and Saturday night staring into video gambling machine screens, making $5 and $2 bets and hoping to hit the $25,000 jackpot.
``It's too far to drive to Atlantic City if we want to do this on the weekend, so it's nice that we can come up here,'' said Beverly Tutterow.
Players during the past week fed $399,000 into the 38 machines lined up in the game room, which is open seven days a week until midnight, tribal officials said.
``We've had them two- and three-deep at the machines all day most days,'' said arcade manager Marion ``Trigger'' Young. ``By 10:30 a.m., every machine is filled and they stay filled all day.''
Gamblers poured into the arcade this weekend, but not all of them wanted their whereabouts publicized. An Anderson, S.C., man who fed $45 into a poker machine would only identify him self as ``B.L.''
``I don't think I better give you my full name. My preacher reads your paper, and I don't think I want him knowing that I'm in a gambling parlor,'' he told The Charlotte Observer.
The tribe opened the arcade on Jan. 22 under an agreement, between Cherokee leaders and Gov. James B. Hunt, that permits the games and construction of a casino on the Qualla Boundary reservation.
Under the deal with Hunt, the tribe can only offer video gambling - no roulette tables or slot machines - with maximum payouts of $25,000. The agreement leaves the Cherokees with the only legalized gambling franchise between Atlantic City, N.J., and Memphis.
Players are coming from a four-state area, Young said, but predominantly from North Carolina and Tennessee.
Most bet a quarter a hand and can play for several hours on $10, he said.
``These are more of the blue-collar gamblers who are in it for the fun of it,'' Young said. ``They are just here to be entertained, not to try to make a big enough hit to retire.''
The Cherokees are looking at gambling as the economic savior of the 10,000-member tribe, which suffers from high unemployment and poor living conditions.
While its 60,000-square-foot casino is on the planning boards, the tribe has brought in video-poker and blackjack machines to start cashing in immediately.
``We are bringing in 31 more machines this weekend,'' said Young. ``I expect within the next six months, we'll have about 200 to 300 machines operating up here.''
Young said during the first week, he took $175 out of each machine at the end of the night. If that rate holds, the tribe will make $525,000 a day from its video-gaming venture with 300 machines dealing electronic cards. ILLUSTRATION: Looking for a jackpot
ASSOCIATED PRESS
John and Jackie Hinson of Mars Hill, play video poker at the
Cherokee tribal bingo building. The only legal gambling franchise
between Memphis and Atlantic City, N.J., drew more than 1,800 people
during the first week of operation, tribal officials said.
KEYWORDS: GAMBLING CHEROKEES INDIAN NATIVE AMERICAN by CNB