Officials with Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel held a ceremony last week to mark the completion of the first phase of the hotel's $650 million expansion.

The project is one of the largest hospitality expansions now under way in the country. When it's completed next year, it will double the size of the casino floor.

Many of the larger projects associated with the expansion are now open, including the additional hotel rooms and the events center.

By the winter of 2012, the casino expects to expand its gaming offerings from 3,400 gaming stations to 4,700. The expansion includes video poker, live blackjack, raffle reels and Baccarito.