Virginia Voters Approve Casinos in Four Cities

Voters in Virginia have, during the highly controversial US Presidential elections, also voted for a local ballot initiative to approve a brick and mortar casino in four of the cities in the state.

Electorates of Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk have endorsed the initiative and this opens the way for these poor communities to work on casinos that will cost, according to estimates, around $300 million.

Big Day at the Polls

Legislators have amended the referendum obliging the state to fund the construction and eventual repair of new schools using tax revenues from the coming casinos.

Danville has already expressed interest for partnering up with Caesars Entertainment to construct a casino with bars and restaurants as well as entertainment venue and a 300-room hotel.

69% of the small city’s electorate approved the plan and the plan is that the casino goes live by the end of 2023.

Vox Populi

In Bristol, 72% voters expressed their wish to unite with Hard Rock international for the construction of the new casino. In Portsmouth and Norfolk, 67% and 65% of voters respectively approved the commencement of partnership with Rush Street Gaming and Pamunkey Indian Tribe.

Caesars CEO Tom Reeg said, in a statement, that the brand is looking forward to opening a hotel casino in Danville. The expected annual gaming tax should bring a $34 million revenue to the city.

“We look forward to fulfilling the trust the voters have placed in us by bringing 1,300 good-paying jobs, tourism dollars, and economic development to the city, and we are incredibly excited to begin construction.

We look forward to fulfilling the trust the voters have placed in us by bringing 1,300 good-paying jobs, tourism dollars, and economic development to the city, and we are incredibly excited to begin construction.”

Things to Come

Likewise…

…Global Market Advisors Director of Government Affairs Brendan Bussmann said that the votes of four cities’ residents are a clear signal.

He said that Virginia is a sign of things to come for southern states which will soon follow, as it ed one of the biggest gaming packages in the last legislative session and looks to be a strong market for the region.

Source:

“Gaming on the ballot: Virginia approves four casinos; sports betting coming to three states”, cdcgamingreports.com, November 4th, 2020.