Voters in Petersburg, Virginia will determine if their community will become the state’s fifth casino host city in a November referendum, following recent approval from the General Assembly. Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 628 earlier this year with an amendment requiring a second vote.
However, Gov. Glenn Youngkin sent the bill back to legislators with a request to remove the re-enactment. State Senator Lashrecse Aird, chief co-patron of the legislation, endorsed Youngkin’s request and urged colleagues to pass the bill. Since both chambers agreed to the amendments, the bill automatically becomes law, bypassing the governor’s desk.
Petersburg now joins Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth as the five designated hosts for state-regulated gambling. Voters in those four cities passed casino referendums; casinos currently are operating in three of them. Petersburg replaces Richmond, where referendums failed in 2021 and 2023.
Aird, who represents Petersburg, said in a statement, “I made a promise to give my community this opportunity and today I delivered on that promise. While voters will have the final say on whether a casino becomes a reality, this legislation has the potential for multimillion-dollar economic investment to be made in a community that both needs and truly deserves it.”
Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham added, “On behalf of city council and the city administration, I deeply thank Senator Aird for her unwavering commitment, hard work and dedication to Petersburg and her residents. This opportunity has the potential to be a game changer for our city. Senator Aird has fulfilled her promise to equip Petersburg with the needed tools to drive positive change and foster growth for future generations. The city also wants to thank Governor Youngkin for removing the re-enactment clause and the General Assembly for final approval.”
Petersburg spokesman Joanne Williams said the city “will quickly move” on referendum plans. She said City Manager March Altman plans to form a committee made up of city employees and community representatives “to plan this significant initiative.” The city council, Virginia Lottery Board and Petersburg Circuit Court also must approve adding the referendum to the 2024 ballot.
Meanwhile, Aird held a recent town hall for the five casino operators who have submitted bids for developing a potential Petersburg casino: Bally’s; the Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprises; Penn Entertainment; Rush Street Gaming, operators of the Portsmouth casino; and the Warrenton Group, partnering with Delaware North.
Hundreds of Petersburg residents attended the event, which Aird said was important for creating transparency for the potentially significant economic development. She said no timetable has been set by the city council for choosing an operator.
Bally’s has proposed a casino, 500-room hotel, restaurants and entertainment space. Company officials said 15 percent of the casino’s equity would remain in the local community.
Baltimore-based Cordish Companies’ proposal is similar to its $1.4 billion plan presented in 2022, which could not move forward without state approval.
The project, known as Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia, includes 400,000 square feet of gambling, two hotels, restaurants and a 3,000-seat entertainment venue. National Football League Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, a Virginia Beach developer, will partner with Cordish on the casino project. Smith said the Cordish ownership team would have 50 percent minority equity participation, the largest share in a U.S. casino.
Penn Entertainment’s proposal includes a casino, ESPN Bet sportsbook, restaurants, 200-room hotel, retail and 8,000-person amphitheater partnering with Live Nation.
Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, operator of Virginia’s first permanent casino in Portsmouth, proposed a development including a casino, 500-room hotel, meeting and entertainment space. Officials said the proposal includes up to a 40 percent minority investment and ownership and an agreement with a local union group already is in place.
Washington, D.C.-based Warrenton Group’s proposal includes an agreement with casino operator Delaware North and the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, based in King William County. Its development would be built in two Petersburg locations: a 160,000-square-foot casino, 200-room hotel, restaurants and employee housing would be built at the “Southern Gateway” location off Route 301; the second phase, the “Northern Gateway” on the Pocahontas Island waterfront, would include restaurants, entertainment, 200-room, workforce housing, healthcare facility and a culinary training program.
