Atlanta casino hotel
Closest Casinos Near Atlanta, GA
Although there are some that are close and within fairly easy driving range, there are not, currently, any casinos in Atlanta, nor any other part of Georgia.
There is yearly talk around the Georgia State Legislature about introducing a voter referendum allowing a limited number of casinos. But for now, thats still just talk, and therefore Atlantans who want to satisfy their gambling itch have to either go on a casino cruise, or drive out of state.
The closest casino to Atlanta (including cruises), is Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino in tiny Murphy, North Carolina.
Harrahs Cherokee Valley River Casino
Opened in the fall of , the casino is miles away from the Georgia State Capitol building in downtown Atlanta, (or kilometers). Depending on the traffic, most of the time it would take you between 2 and 2 ½ hours to get there.
During the highest traffic times on Friday afternoons however, Google maps estimates that it would take you 3 hours and 15 minutes to make the drive up Interstate , which turns into several state highways and 76 (the Appalachian Highway), as you meander to Mineral Bluff, Georgia where youll make sure you take a right on Highway
After you pass through Murphy, North Carolina, (my wife and I found Rib Country BBQ just south of town to be a wonderful stop), the casino is just five miles up the road, on your right, atop a hill.
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino is a real casino, in that it offers a variety of slots, video poker machines, and Las Vegas-style table games. Unlike some Indian casinos youll find, Harrahs Cherokee Valley River has live craps, blackjack, roulette, Mississippi Stud, and 3 card poker. There are also electronic versions of several of these table games.
All total, the resort has just over 1, slot machines with limits up to $ The 50, square foot casino floor is also home to 70 table games (but no poker room). In , The Book sportsbook opened, featuring a 32 foot TV screen, and four betting windows, along with five betting kiosks.
The food court has five options, including a Starbucks, Nathans Famous, Panda Express, Earl of Sandwich and Moes Southwest Grill. The eight-story hotel boasts rooms, however it is pretty basic, meaning it does not have a spa, nor pool.
In July of , Harrahs Cherokee Valley River completed a $13 million dollar expansion, when they opened their new 41, square foot UltraStar Multi-tainment Center. The building includes the casinos first sit-down restaurant (the Landing Cafe), a 16 lane bowling alley, a 2, square foot arcade and a lounge with a stage for live music.
Also, self-parking is free here (even if some of the spots do result in a long walk). There are 24 Telsa charging statios. Please also note that you do have to be 21 years of age or older to gamble.
Address, Phone& Website
Casino Parkway
Murphy, NC
()
Website: thisisnl.nl
Atlanta Casinos Map
(Here’s a map showing you directions from Atlanta A to the Harrahs Cherokee casinos. The route on the left is to the Cherokee River Valley Casino while the right side one is to Harrahs Cherokee Casino Resort with the red pin.)
In the fall of , the resort announced plans for a $ million dollar expansion, that would include more casino floor space, a cafe in the lobby, a new restaurant, indoor pool, and a brand new hotel tower.
Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino is the little brother of the much larger and grander Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina.
Harrahs Cherokee Casino Resort
Up until September of , Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort was considered the closest casino to Atlanta.
The 56 acre property has four times the number of gaming machines (i.e. slot machines, video poker machines, etc.) than its newer, smaller brother in Murphy.
However at 40 more miles away, it’s also a longer drive. The Cherokee Casino Resort is miles away, and a normal drive time from Atlanta to this casino clocks in at roughly 3 hours going on I, and north on Highway Once you get there, youll find plenty of free parking at one of their several multi-story parking garages.
This casino is more of a destination resort, and is the biggest casino in the region, at , square feet of casino space.
In it youll find over 3, slot machines and video poker machines, along with table games, with all the usual favorites (blackjack, real craps, roulette, etc.), along with Mississippi Stud, Three Card Poker, and Ultimate Texas Holdem.
The Asian-themed, Le Fu Men is sort of a casino within a casino. Its a little darker and quieter than other areas of the casino floor and has baccarat and blackjack variants, along with a the Noodle Bar restaurant.
In , Harrahs opened their Caesars Sportsbook, which features a 90 foot wide big screen, numerous betting windows and kiosks, VIP seating area, and even three man caves you can book with your buddies.
The resort also boasts a 34 table World Series of Poker, poker room, with bad-beat jackpots, high hand promotions, and nightly tournaments held Mondays through Thursdays.
On the hotel side, a $ million dollar expansion completed in October added a fourth hotel tower (this one 19 stories tall), bringing the resorts total room count to 1, rooms and suites.
Harrahs Cherokee Casino hotel has the 18, square foot Mandara Spa, an indoor and outdoor pool, along with a three-level, 83, square foot convention center.
All total, the property features 12 different restaurants, ranging from a pizza counter to a Dunkin Donuts to a Ruths Chris Steak House. Wicked Weed Brewing in nearby Asheville has just opened a brewpub here, (on the second level above Myst), and there is a Starbucks here now as well. Guy Fieri’s Cherokee Kitchen + Bar is a new addition, and Gordon Ramseys Food Market is a contemporary twist on the traditional casino food court.
The new Ultrastar Multi-tainment Center boasts a 24 lane bowling alley, arcade, patio and the Esports Zone bar. This is in addition to shops and other bars, like the Myst.
As with Cherokee Valley River, Harrahs Cherokee Casino is non-smoking.
Casinos Near Atlanta
Other than these two Harrah’s properties, which are both owned by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, and both of which are operated by Caesars Entertainment, there are very few other casinos near Atlanta.
The only other casinos near Atlanta are the Wind Creek Wetumpka Hotel & Casino and the Wind Creek Montgomery Casino both outside Montgomery, Alabama. From downtown Atlanta, it’s a miles drive to the Wind Creek Montgomery and to Wetumpka. So technically, the Wind Creek Montgomery takes the title for second closest casino to Atlanta.
These Alabama casinos, however, are generally considered inferior to the Harrahs Cherokee properties. For one, they only offer Class II gaming machines, which are bingo player-shared pool machines, rather than the traditional Las Vegas style slot machines. In addition, these casinos do not offer table games.
(Related: Casinos near Birmingham, Alabama)
Lastly theres the matter of the man who in , reportedly won a $ million jackpot after playing one of these $5 gaming machines.
When it came time to collect, however, the casino owners, the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, did not pay the man, claiming the machine had a malfunction. The player sued the tribe, but lost at the Alabama Supreme Court after the tribe argued they were protected by tribal immunity laws. Consider yourself warned.
Closest Casinos to Atlanta and Area Cities
Here are the distances from Atlanta and surrounding areas to the Cherokee Valley River Casino.
Atlanta: miles
Cumberland: miles
Sandy Springs: miles
Roswell: 99 miles
Johns Creek: miles
Alpharetta: 96 miles
Marietta: miles
Smyrna: miles
Casino Cruises Near Atlanta
Georgia has one line of casino cruises. If you’re not familiar with these, a casino cruise leaves shore for international waters, which is outside U.S. and state gaming law regulations.
The cruises only last for a few hours, and even though you’re outside the jurisdiction of United States and Georgia law, you still have to be 21 years old to gamble on these floating casinos.
The one casino cruise ship in operation in Georgia is the Emerald Princess Casino. However its dock is in Brunswick, miles away, which equals roughly a 4 and ½ hour drive. If you go, your $15 ticket will get you an experience similar to a smaller land-based casino, as the four deck boat has slot machines, 12 blackjack tables, bingo and craps and roulette as well.
Formerly, there was the closer Tradewinds Casino Cruise line, based out of Savannah, however the company closed in the fall of
Victory Casino Cruises, with slots and 27 table games and a sportsbook, leaves port from Port Canaveral, Florida, miles south of Atlanta.
(By Steve Beauregard. Photos courtesy of thisisnl.nl and Caesars Entertainment)