Raven Rock Entertainment has its eye on the former coal town of Jenkins in northeastern Kentucky for the location of a new casino resort. Raven Rock investor Kevin Mullins said, “This city was built on coal, it very much was, but if we’re going to continue to grow the city it’s going to have to be built on something else.” He said a casino is not a “magic bullet,” but added, “this is as close as we’re going to see to a magic bullet.”
Raven Rock Chief Executive Officer James Hibbitts said the project has been in the works since 2016. He noted legislators are increasingly supportive since they’re seeking new tax revenue streams to fill the state’s pension fund. Lawmakers’ favorable opinion will be required to change state law since currently casino gambling is banned in Kentucky.
Hibbitts said Raven Rock Casino Resort would overlook Eastern Kentucky from a plateau on Pine Mountain. It would take two years to build. “Raven Rock can be the draw for the whole area. We want downhill biking, tree top walks, ziplines, mountain coasters, things like that, a true adventure. But what’s going to drive it economically is the gaming floor.”
Hibbitts said the casino could generate $1 million in tax revenue in its first year of operation and create 1,000 jobs with an annual salary of $50,000.
Mullins noted, despite growing legislative support, the project faces enormous challenges. “We have a lot of other states that have expanded gaming that are basically lobbying against expanding gaming in Kentucky. But, Hibbitts pointed out, “Kentucky is a gambling state, Kentucky is a betting state, it’s a horseracing state. The pastors realize if they don’t have people in their pews, then they don’t have churches. Giving up isn’t an option. There’s nothing else on the table for us.”
