In Richmond, Virginia, the city council’s Organizational Development Standing Committee approved a resolution allowing a second referendum allowing residents to decide this November if they want a casino.
Specifically, that would be Urban One and Colonial Downs’ proposed $562.5 million development, which could open in summer 2026. Analysts said the casino resort could create 1,300 jobs.
Voters narrowly rejected the same casino proposal in 2021. But Councilwoman Reva Trammell, who represents the 8th District where the casino would be located, worked nonstop to hold a do-over vote. “It’s a referendum and yes, we have the right to have another one,” she told local outlet VPM.
The issue dates back to 2020, when the Virginia Legislature passed SB36 allowing Portsmouth, Norfolk, Danville, Bristol and Richmond to hold casino referendums. Voters approved them in every city except Richmond, where citizens have expressed concerns about the potential social and economic risks of gambling. Casinos already have opened in the other four cities.
In addition, opponents of a second referendum have said officials should accept that the majority was against the casino the first time. According to VPM, one resident said, “The people voted against having a casino in the city. So, is this to authorize another referendum? If that doesn’t pass, will there be a third referendum?”
Meanwhile, lawmakers and officials representing Petersburg, 25 miles south of Richmond, attempted to amend SB36 to allow that city to replace Richmond as the fifth casino host city. The Cordish Companies, the developers of the Richmond casino, proposed a $1.4 billion casino resort in Petersburg. The amended bill, HB1373, passed the Virginia House but failed in the Senate.
The full Richmond City Council is expected to vote on the resolution allowing a referendum on June 12. If it passes, it also needs the approval of local courts. There’s also the chance that the state Legislature could block the referendum like they did last year as part of budget considerations, observers said.
Richmond City Council President Michael Jones said it’s not unusual for referendums on the same issue to be held more than once.
He told VPM, “Last time there was a lot of misinformation.” Jones blamed “NIMBYism”−Not In My Backyard−for most of the opposition to the casino project. Jones said the majority of Black precincts located closer to the proposed casino site were more likely to vote for the casino. He noted the vote was so sharply divided along racial lines, and therefore supporters would be “going to the white communities, sharing why the Black communities want it.”
According to Richmond Economic Development Director Leonard Sledge, if the second referendum passes, RVA Entertainment Holdings LLC, the Urban ONE-Colonial Down partnership, would pay the city of Richmond $25.5 million within 30 days. A study commissioned by the city said that the casino would generate $29.7 million in annual revenue.
Before the committee vote, Councilman Stephanie Lynch said, “I think for a lot of us, this is a tough decision. It’s not one that I took lightly having lived in a district where we had constituents that voted against this project.” Lynch added her vote considered that Trammell’s constituents voted overwhelmingly in favor of the casino.
