The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), who resides in North Carolina, have bought a piece of land in Sevierville which they could use for building a casino or sports betting venue.
As revealed by Tim Duff, who arranged the sale, the Indian Tribal Nation now owns 122 acres of land near Smokies Stadium. Mr. Duff confirmed that the EBCI was sold 48 acres of land which fronts Winfield Dunn Parkway. According to Sevier County records, the tribe purchased the land for $7.656 million, with the deal being finalized on June 18th.
For the time being, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians owns two casino venues on Qualla Boundary, a federal land trust. Both gambling venues are operated by Harrah’s. As revealed by Bob Stahlke, a Public Information Officer in Sevierville, the city has already had held some talks regarding the possible addition of one more casino with the Indian Tribal Nation, but no specific development plans have been discussed yet. Mr. Stahlke explained that the city officials were approached by the EBCI in January 2019, as the tribe was possibly interested in purchasing a piece of land there.
At the same time, Sevier County was informed about the private land purchase negotiations but has not been involved in any way in the purchase discussions.
Tennessee Gambling Law Must Be Amended to Allow Casino Gambling
At the time when the news that the Cherokee Indians were considering a possible purchase, speculations appeared that the tribe was planning to establish a future casino venue. However, this would be possible only in case that local legislators changed state gambling law. At the time, no such intentions were confirmed by the city, with Sevierville officials saying that the Indian Tribal nation has only considered the land as a good spot for future commerce, without providing any specifics what the commerce may be.
As mentioned above, the Native American Tribe operates a casino on tribal land in North Carolina.
Principal Chief Richard Sneed said in a statement that the property will be used by the tribe to bring it further economic development, as the location offers many possibilities for economic diversification.
Currently, Tennessee laws do not allow casino gambling within state borders. State legislators have already discussed the legalization of some sports betting services. The addition of horse racing, table games and any other type of casino gambling in Tennessee would need an amendment brought to the state constitution.
In addition, State Representative Rick Staples has been hoping to see at least sports betting legalized in the state. Each local jurisdiction would have the chance to vote whether to add it to its legal gambling sector or not. According to Staples, gambling expansion could end up with the addition of a new stream of income which could be used to fund various educational projects or infrastructure improvements.
