Kasarda is director of the Kenan Institute, and Appold is senior research associate at the institute. Johnson is director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center at the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise, part of UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School. Johnson Jr., co-author of the report with John D. “The economic impact of the casino is large and dramatic,” said James H. The casino, opened in Jackson County in November 1997, has grown from a simple bingo operation to a large, complex, multiproduct firm and tourist destination attracting 3.6 million visitors a year. “Assessing the Economic and Non-economic Impacts of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, North Carolina” describes the effect of the casino on the region and analyzes its economic impact. The study concludes that the casino has brought significant economic and social benefit to one of the state’s traditionally depressed regions. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in western North Carolina contributes more than $380 million directly to its local economy, according to a new report by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
