directions to harrahs cherokee casino from my location

Let me also add: I’m the kind of casino-goer who hates crowds of people. Bartenders served drinks, cocktail waiters and waitresses roamed the floor, and even though about 1,700 of the 3,000 slot and video poker machines have been disabled, there was never a problem finding an open machine. The gaming area was bustling, despite the weeknight timeframe. A welcome sign initiated guests about limited seating at restaurants (all are open, sans the buffet) and the prohibition of smoking on the casino floor (at Harrah’s Cherokee, it’s allowed in the Rotunda area at Valley River, in designated areas outside).Īt check-in, the usual separate lines for higher-level Diamond and Seven Stars players have been temporarily removed and the sole line included markers every six feet to facilitate social distancing (management said they hope to add the dedicated lines back soon).Īrriving at the escalator down to the casino floor, the usual security checkpoint also included a flash of my wristband. Signage alerted that elevator capacity should not exceed four people.

Inside the building, sanitizer stations beckoned every 100 feet or so. Several other gamers favored this “casino-robber-chic” look as well, so for once, I felt stylishly aligned. Personally, I’m as skeeved out about touching slot machine buttons as I am inhaling rogue droplets, so I accessorized my trusty “Star Wars” mask - I’m saving the one provided by the casino for another trip - with black latex gloves.

While most casino markets, including recently resuscitated Las Vegas, only suggest patrons wear them, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which owns the two properties (Harrah’s manages them), determined their guidelines.

Much like the concert industry that I cover on a full-time basis, casinos thrive on crowds, and managing throngs of people is incongruous to the stay-away-from-everyone recommendations we're advised to endorse for the good of humanity.īut we also know there are conflicting mindsets about such guidelines, primarily wearing masks.īoth Harrah’s Cherokee properties require the use of masks by employees and guests. Like any avid gambler, I was tick-tocking the days until our closest casinos resumed operations (both sites engaged in soft openings for invited guests on May 18, and opened to the general public on May 28), though I was somewhat trepidatious about what to expect regarding safety protocols.įor weeks, I scoured my usual gambling websites and message boards for tidbits about how casinos planned to cultivate a protected environment in the midst of a still-raging pandemic.

Directions to harrahs cherokee casino from my location