“It’s definitely concerning and we’re going to keep a pulse on things, but we’re going to try and be as good as we can be,” said Lumpy Lambert, general manager of Valley River. While Georgia lawmakers continue to scrutinize the possibility of bringing legalized gambling to the state, North Carolina has continued its expansion with its new casino in Murphy, N.C. The arrival of Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel, a $110 million project that broke ground in October 2013, means that Atlantans now have a gambling option about two hours away (a midafternoon weekday trip clocked in at two hours and 10 minutes and 122 miles from Buckhead). And the adjoining hotel, accessible from inside the casino via an escalator as well as its own separate entrance, will welcome its first guests.