Drawing people from across the state is Harrah's Cherokee Casino, 777 Casino Dr. (tel. 828/497-7777), open 24 hours daily. All your favorite games of chance are here, plus a 1,500-seat Cherokee Pavilion Theater and five major restaurants. You must be 21 years of age or older to enter. This complex is part of a vast project that has transformed the Cherokee tribe's chronically depressed reservation into the only place in North Carolina where people can legally gamble. Rows of slots, video poker, and blackjack machines, along with other games, provide the tribe with an annual payout from Harrah's of $175 million -- each member gets a $7,000 check every year. About once a month, the theater presents a headliner, and tickets range from $15 to $90.
