Richmond Voters Double Down: Reject Casino Project for the Second Time
Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed said they were against the casino.
Second Time Around, Richmond Voters Turn Down $562 Million Casino Proposal
Voters in Richmond, Virginia, rejected a casino resort plan once more. On Interstate 95 in South Richmond, a resort casino worth $562 million was supposed to be constructed. Voters had already rejected a casino in 2021.
According to the state's elections page, 60% of voters disapproved of the plan. In 2021, that percentage was 51%. In order to pass a second referendum, Urban One and Churchill Downs claimed that the project would have created 1,300 permanent jobs.
There would have been 250 hotel rooms, a concert hall with 3,000 seats, a 55-acre park, and upscale gaming floors.
The campaign took pride in leading a neighborhood-focused initiative to create more chances for city dwellers to move up to the middle class. They expressed gratitude to the thousands of Richmond residents who helped make the project a success by generating good jobs and making the city more substantial. They also expressed special appreciation to the Southside residents who worked so hard to make the project happen.
Report on Virginia's Casinos September Gaming Revenue of $51.9 million
The Virginia Lottery has released a report detailing the September gambling activity at Caesars Virginia, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Temporary Bristol. $51.9 million was made from gaming.
The three casinos in Virginia reported that their September earnings were less than those of August.
Slots cost $38.9 million, and table games $12.9 million. Only 25% of the state's adjusted revenues came from table games, with the remaining 75% coming from locations. The Gaming Proceeds Fund received $9.3 million in taxes from the three casinos combined.
September earnings for Rivers Casino Portsmouth were $20 million. $14 million was made from its 1,461 slot machines, and $6 million was made from its 81 table games. At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Temporary Bristol, the 29 table games and 915 slots combined for $10.6 million and $2 million in revenue.
Caesars Danville Casino: September Revenue of $19.1 million
In September, 818 slot machines and 25 table games brought in over $19.1 million for Caesars Entertainment's makeshift casino in Danville.
The Virginia Lottery Board granted the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Temporary Bristol a casino license in April 2022. The makeshift structure on the location of the former Bristol Mall opened to the public three months later. It granted the casino license to Rivers Casino Portsmouth in November 2022. On January 23, 2023, the casino opened.
Caesars, Virginia, received its license to operate a casino in April 2023. The Danville temporary building opened for business on May 15, 2023.
