Virginia Issues 3rd Gaming License
Once Virginia’s commercial gaming law was passed in 2020, five jurisdictions were allowed to vote on a casino opening in their area. Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville, Bristol, and Richmond, were all named as possible landing spots and the voters in those cities all voted yes to casinos except Richmond.
Fast forward to today and we see that the Hard Rock in Bristol was the first to welcome guests about a year ago followed by Rivers Casino Portsmouth in January of this year. And now we see the Caesars property in Danville green-lighted last Wednesday with the third commercial gaming license in the state. Virginia sports betting is also available, providing more entertainment options for locals and visitors alike.
Virginia Lottery Board Chairman, Ferhan Hamid, said: “The Virginia Lottery Board takes very seriously its statutory role overseeing casino gambling in the Commonwealth. All Virginians, whether or not they use these facilities, need to be aware that they are operated and regulated responsibly.”
Chris Albrecht, SVP and GM of Danville Casino and Caesars Virginia commented: “We’ve received an incredible outpouring of support and cooperation to get us to this day, especially from the Danville community and the surrounding areas… The opening of the Danville Casino is a monumental step forward for us, and we are excited to begin welcoming guests on May 15.”
Temporary Facility
On May 15 the property known as Caesars Danville will serve as a temporary facility until the permanent facility is built. The provisional casino is located on the same grounds as the yet-to-be-constructed permanent casino, as mandated by Virginia law that states both must have the same mailing addresses.
The tented temporary facility will include 740 slot machines, 25 table games, as well as 28 electronic table games. There will also be eight Caesars Sportsbook self-service kiosks located within the 40,000-square-foot casino complex.
Caesars Virginia
Construction on a permanent Caesars resort in Danville is already underway and the timeline suggests they will be open for business in late 2024. The 500-room hotel will boast a casino floor with more than 1,300 slots, 85 table games, 24 electronic tables, a WSOP poker room, as well as a Caesars Sportsbook.
A 2500-seat concert hall will complement the many restaurants and pubs located within. There will also be a 40,000-square-foot convention footprint with other amenities yet to be disclosed.
The resort will be built on the same property that once housed another economic powerhouse in the Danville area. From the time it was built in 1882 through the late 1960s, the Dan River Mills campus was vastly responsible for a vibrant local economy and ultimately grew to be the largest textile firm in the South.
As one industry fades another flourishes, and this time around it will be the Caesars Casino and Sportsbook that will provide hundreds, if not thousands, of part-time and full-time jobs generating a reported $38 million in tax revenue for the area.
The design will be focused around the “Three Sisters,” a trio of smokestacks that are still standing from the original textile mills. In tribute, there will be a 24-hour eatery named Three Stacks that will serve food and drinks at any time of the day or night.
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