CHEROKEE, NC- Misconceptions were quickly dispelled here at one of two lonely casino gaming outposts in North Carolina.

Wedged between the upstate western landscape and the Tennessee border, was Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resortthree hours from Atlanta, 90 from the kitschy tourist lighthouse of Pigeon Forge, across the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This Eastern Band of Cherokees property figured to give off a distinctly rustic feel.

Or so I assumed.

We’re not talking about buckskin men at the craps table or calico women – or vice versa – at the slot machines. But the image of rough edges and a bucolic sensibility came easily enough, as did visions of an antiquated, empty casino. It was baseless. And quickly corrected.

Came across the place as it happened to land right on my holiday route from Helen, Georgia.at Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

The chance to cross out another state where I had placed a legal sports bet was too hard to resist.

I would let Washington out of my clutches in January because the $120 Uber ride from downtown Seattle to Snoqualmie Casino seemed unreasonable. It was too easy.

Having promised my family a quick getaway to Caesars Sportsbook, I was ready to face the wave of cigarette smoke that enveloped me.

But the three women smoking next to a door emblazoned with a “No Smoking” sign sparked immediate hope. And true to his word, the place was completely non-smoking. The non-smoking sections were smoke – science! – somehow transported to the supposed virgin territory.

While some states allow minors on the playground, Harrah’s Cherokee has imposed a 21 and over policy, with guards checking anyone who seemed close as they approached. I have to keep my wallet in my pocket.

A quick escalator ride was immediately telling. Opened in 1997 and renovated four times, most recently from 2018-21, the place looks brand new.

A massive and diverse food zone – the Gordon Ramsay Food Market – rose above me to the left with eight stalls and a full service restaurant.

There is a Guy Fieri restaurant and a weed pub. The Myst bar dominated the middle of the gaming hall as rows of slot machines and other games stretched out in all directions.

It was noon on a weekday. And the crowd was big. Not overwhelming, but lively. Not a buckskin pompom in sight.

Two Cherokee casino sportsbooks will likely remain North Carolina’s only options for now

North Carolina lawmakers appear poised to extend the Cherokees’ monopoly for another year.

While the State Senate passed a mobile sports betting bill in 2021the House version is mired in committee and requires action before the end of the session on June 30.

So, for now, sports betting in North Carolina is for retail outlets only at the two Cherokee-owned and Harrah’s-operated casinos in Cherokee and Indian Valley.

The bill stuck in the North Carolina House would allow 10 to 12 mobile licenses which are supposed to be taken over by national powers like FanDuel and DraftKings.

Caesars Sportsbook at Harrah’s Cherokee is a well-appointed betting nook in the woods

The winding but well marked path to the sportsbook brought me to what looked like the end of the property from where I entered the parking lot entrance.

Again, it’s noon, weekdays, with a few major league baseball games on and on National Hockey League playoff games with a few hours off. The crowd was apparently thin. Some 20s got into a fight over a bet on Miller Lites.

The ticket editors under the giant screens didn’t have much to do as most punters seemed to be using kiosks. But the gentleman in the ponytail knew exactly where the nearest ATM was.

It wasn’t far, which ended up being good for the house. My first (second and third) legal bets in North Carolina Casinos were failures.

Sneaky photos of the welcoming deckchairs and the large cashed-in screens, I repeated my way to the escalator when my phone rang. She was my wife. I had promised 30 minutes and was squarely on time, so I answered without fear of repercussions.

Drawn to the casino entrance for a bathroom break and drawn to the food court, the family had settled down for lunch under the watchful gaze/surveillance of Gordon Ramsay’s mural.

In a scene reminiscent of a suburban mall, young dads pushed strollers and moms with shopping bags lined up for fancy sandwiches or pizza. None wear buckskin. None in frontier dresses.