Eastern Cherokees to vote on alcohol at casino

Wednesday, May 27, 2009  

Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will vote June 4 on a referendum to allow alcohol sales at the tribe's casino in North Carolina.

The vote is a first in the North Carolina tribe's history. Supporters say it will increase revenues at the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino by as much as $70 million a year.

"We think it’s definitely the right thing for business," Norma Moss, the head of the tribe's gaming enterprise, told The Smoky Mountain News.

Opponents are worried about the social impacts. "The Cherokee people have over the years had a real problem with alcohol," countered Ed Kilgore, a pastor on the reservation.

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Cherokee face historic vote on alcohol (The Smoky Mountain News 5/27)