In its first month, the convention center hosted 28 groups, and the attached 725-room hotel tower kept 97% occupancy, Saunooke said. 30, the increased doesn’t reflect early success from the new Cherokee Convention Center, which opened Oct. Tribal Council has again delayed approving long-term funding for its cannabis enterprise…īecause the December distribution is based on profits earned from April 1 through Sept. “When compared to the prior year period, the resort in Cherokee was responsible for 65% of the increased distribution to the tribe.” “Both casinos performed very well throughout the fiscal year, which ended on September 30,” said casino spokesperson Brian Saunooke. In 2020, the casinos closed completely from March 18 to May 12 - the first closure in the tribe’s 23-year gaming history - reopening initially with strict capacity, social distancing, masking and cleaning regimens in place. This is due both to higher revenues and decreases in operational expenses required earlier in the pandemic, said EBCI Secretary of Finance Cory Blankenship. Unsurprisingly, the number dwarfs the pre-tax distribution of $4,889 from the pandemic-struck period that formed last December’s checks, but it also clocks in 22.5% higher than the $7,214 sent out in December 2019 - at the time, a record-high number. 1, tribal members will receive checks worth $8,840 - or $7,514 after taxes - from casino profits earned from April 1 through Sept.
