Four Cities in Virginia May Build Casinos after November Ballot

Residents of four cities in Virginia will vote on a referendum in November for or against the building of casinos.

Residents of Four Cities in Virginia to Vote on Building of Casinos in November

The construction of casinos in four Virginia cities could be approved if residents give the green light on November’s ballot. Residents of Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, and Portsmouth will be voting on a referendum in November which may lead to the approval of the construction of casinos in those cities. The referendum that would allow the building of casinos is a result of bipartisan legislation signed by Governor Ralph Northam.

If approved, the casino in Bristol would be built at 500 Gate City Hwy, the former Bristol Mall location. Hard Rock International plans to operate the casino which is an investment of $400 million. The hotel-casino would feature 600-1,000 hotel rooms as well as approximately 50 shops, restaurants, and other entertainment venues. The construction alone would create about 3,000 workplaces. If approved and built, there would be a total of 2,000 newly created permanent workplaces for residents of Bristol.

Casinos Would Create Thousands of Workplaces in Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk

The casino in Danville would be positioned at 1100 West Main St. If approved, the $400 million project would be completed and operated by Caesars Entertainment. Besides the casino floor, the venue would also feature a hotel with 300 rooms. During the construction process, approximately 900 construction jobs would be created and once the project is completed it is expected to create 1,300 permanent workplaces.

Another big project is the one planned for the Norfolk casino which would be located on Harbor Park Waterfront. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe plans to invest $500 million in a casino-hotel which if approved would feature a 300-room hotel. During the construction process, approximately 1,400 new jobs would be created. If approved and built, it is expected that 1,300 permanent workplaces would be created.

The casino in Portsmouth would cost $300 million to Rush Street Gaming. If approved, the location would be Victory Boulevard. The construction of the casino is expected to create 1,400 jobs and once completed the new casino would employ permanently 1,300 people.

Casinos in Virginia – a Controversial Topic

According to the residents opposing the creation of casinos in Virginia, the establishment of such venues can be damaging to morale and may bring gambling-related harm. With that in mind, in Bristol churches have paid for billboards to display messages urging residents to reject the creation of the casino.

In contrast, supporters of the proposed changes say that the casinos would bring tax revenue which will boost the local and state’s coffers. Furthermore, considering the size of the projects, thousands of permanent and temporary workplaces would be created.

Currently, Virginia is one of nine states which laws about gambling are significantly strict, and in fact, there are no casinos in the state. For the moment, gamblers from Virginia need to travel if they would like to gamble. With that in mind, this may change for four cities in the state following the ballot on November 3.