Deal me in

Me and Vegas didn't gel. I didn't really care for that town, and the closest I came to really enjoying it was when we went downtown.

I do like a flutter (Britspeak for small stakes wagering), but I came to the realisation that I'm more of a Mississippi gambler. So, I was quite excited when I heard that there's to be casino gambling in Cherokee, North Carolina, just over the mountains from Knoxville.

But in this post from Knoxdot -News for Hicks (a new one to me - HT Michael Silence), the casino sounds like it's just slots - and maybe video black jack (which I like):

With a casino just over the hill, wouldn't it be nice to have some live card games? Harrah's Casino and Hotel in Cherokee, NC, is a slot players paradise. However, state law in NC prohibits cards from being dealt (As far as I know).

So, if NC changed the law to allow the casino to have a poker room and blackjack tables, do you think you would be more inclined to go over the mountain to gamble?

But what really interested me was a suggestion in the comments that full casino gambling be brought to Gatlinburg. At first, I thought, yeah - that would be awesome. But on reflection, I can see problems - damaging the character of the Smokies. Next thing you know, Pigeon Forge would be all casinos, pushing out the more traditional diversions like miniature golf with giant dinosaurs and alligators.