DATE: Friday, November 14, 1997             TAG: 9711140569

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL NOWELL, ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: CHEROKEE                          LENGTH:   81 lines

NEW CHEROKEE CASINO EXPECTS TO GENERATE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS

Cherokees opened their new $82 million video gambling casino to the public on Thursday wondering one thing: ``Will they come?''

The answer came early and often throughout the day, as cars and buses started pulling up in front of Harrah's Cherokee Casino hours before the doors opened to the public.

By the 10 a.m. opening, there were as many as 4,000 people waiting outside. And many more were in a long traffic jam trying to get into the parking lot.

``Can you believe this?'' a beaming Chief Joyce Dugan said moments after the doors opened and customers scrambled over to their favorite video gambling machines.

``For so long the Cherokees have relied on the federal government for funding,'' she said. ``We see many, many opportunities coming through this.''

The crush of visitors got so large that Harrah's officials issued an advisory early Thursday afternoon asking people to stay away.

``We have been wildly successful,'' said general manager Jerry Egelus. ``People are having to wait an hour or more to get in . . . So please come see us, but perhaps wait a week or two.''

Earlier, the crowd let out a big roar as the casino officially opened for business amid hopes that it would be a positive force in the lives of the impoverished Cherokee tribe.

The casino is expected to generate millions of dollars for tribal members from its anticipated 3.4 million annual visitors. Tribal leaders hope it transforms the Cherokees from one of the nation's poorest tribes into one of the wealthiest.

The project is expected to create 1,100 new jobs - most of them going to the Cherokees - and a $27.5 million annual payroll. Hundreds of other jobs in related industries are also expected to be created by the venture.

Located on a 37-acre site, the complex is as large as three football fields. When completed, it will be the only full-scale casino between Atlantic City, N.J., and Tunica, Miss.

Some customers arrived before daybreak to be among the first to get in.

``I don't think Billy Graham would draw this many people,'' said Shirley Laughter of Hendersonville as she waited to get inside with her husband, Jim.

The crowds did not thin as the day wore on.

Wesley Turner drove from Morganton to check out the new casino.

``I have to get back about $23,000 I have in their old place,'' he said, referring to the tribe's former temporary facility across town that operated while the new one was under construction.

On Thursday, there were some winners.

``I just won $150 two different times,'' said Carolyn Conley-Hall, who drove up with a group of her friends from Murphy, N.C. ``I was going to limit myself to $50. Not now.''

When a player wins a large jackpot, neon lights that resemble lightning flares over the crowd and fake thunder rumbles through the 175,000-square-foot casino.

The biggest headaches on the first day of operation were the long traffic jams and equally long waits to get on a machine once a customer was able to get inside.

Ralph and Helen Caldwell sat patiently in their car waiting to find a parking spot. They drove in from Asheville Thursday morning.

``Curiosity is what brought us here,'' said Mrs. Caldwell, who has been to a Harrah's casino in Las Vegas.

Her husband did not seem to be frustrated with the traffic.

``I expected it,'' he said. ``I'm not upset at all.''

Inside, some would-be players were not as content.

``I can't find a machine, and I've been trying for about an hour,'' said Hazel Pomeroy, who came down from the Washington, D.C., area to visit the Cherokee casino. She held a cup with Harrah's tokens.

While the $82 million casino has 1,800 video gambling machines, about 300 were not in operation at one time or another on Thursday, said Harrah's officials. Many of the disabled machines had been brought over from the temporary casino, they said.

At one point, Harrah's officials had to lock the doors.

``If you're going to make something like this you make it big,'' said an angry James Hargreaves, who drove in from Statesville. ``I'm going to wait as long as it takes to play.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Geraldine Melton tries her luck at the new Harrah's casino in

Cherokee, N.C., and wins $400 at a video game, becoming the casino's

first jackpot winner.

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