In 2020, the General Assembly passed legislation to legalize gaming in Virginia. There is so much to write about that I am publishing this casino update in two parts, this week and next. There are two more proposed casinos working through this arduous process: Caesars, with an ownership interest from the Eastern Band of Cherokees, in Danville, and the Pamunkey Indians’ Headwaters Casino in Norfolk.
The first was awarded in April to Bristol’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, which opened a temporary casino facility in July. It is now the second casino operator’s license issued in Virginia. Like many Virginians who remember the big announcement a couple of years ago that Virginia would soon have its very own casinos where you could stay at a five star hotel, enjoy a musical performance or laugh with comedians, eat and drink all night at exciting new restaurants, and also visit the local sites in different and interesting parts of the state, you may be wondering just what is happening with those casinos that were coming to Virginia? Well, funny you should ask, because just last week the Virginia Lottery Board, which oversees the regulatory framework governing the establishment and operation of the lottery and privately-operated sports betting and casino gaming programs, unanimously approved the casino facility operator’s license for the Rivers Casino in Portsmouth.