Virginia has achieved a long-awaited milestone after awarding its first-ever retail casino license to Hard Rock Bristol. A temporary facility will be hosting visitors in 3 months, with the fully-fledged casino, hotel, and resort slated for summer 2024.
Virginia’s dream of bringing new economic life to the state seems to be edging closer to reality with the recent news that Hard Rock Bristol has won Virginia’s first Casino License. This comes after a decade-old battle that had seen many in the state opposed to any form of gambling.
Thankfully, in November 2020, there was a collective sigh of relief for the proponents of gambling in the Mother of States. Voters in Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, and Norfolk voted in favor of constructing five casinos in their cities. These cities were deemed to be struggling economically, and with the introduction of the new casinos, there would be a saving grace initiative. The temporary property by Hard Rock Bristol is set for an opening date of July 8th.
The process of awarding Hard Rock Bristol the privilege of owning Virginia’s first casino license was thorough. It has received much political goodwill starting from Anthony Farnum, who has been a key supporter of the initiative. His words upon the finalization of a process he backed to the end proved how happy he was with the outcome. He said:
Quote“It’s so gratifying to go through all the steps, see the support for the local referendum that we had then to be able to say the first casino in Virginia is going to be open right here in Bristol is really special.”
Virginia’s Land-Based Casino Journey
The proposal to make the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Bristol the state’s first casino was brought forward to the Virginia Lottery Board for comprehensive deliberations. What followed was a well-crafted two-hour presentation from Hard Rock Bristol representatives on what the casino would mean for the state of Virginia. As part of the presentation, the representatives also got to the thick of their plans for the casino, both in the short and long term.
Additionally, there was a session where the Virginia Lottery Board members were allowed to ask questions to ensure that all bases were covered. Looking at how everything turned out, it is fair to say that the board members were certainly impressed – the proposal sailed through with a unanimous vote of 7-0.
Following the approval of Hard Rock Bristol as the flagbearer of the Old Dominion’s first retail casino license, the board chairman Ferhan Hamid said:
Quote“Since enacted by the 2020 General Assembly, the Board’s priority for casino gaming in the Commonwealth is that it be conducted with integrity and in a responsible manner. Today’s approval reflects the confidence we have in the rigorous and conscientious review conducted by Virginia Lottery staff.”
It’s, however, worth noting that the process to award this license to Hard Rock Bristol might have culminated in a vote by the Virginia Lottery Board, but it is a journey that commenced a long time ago. The process first had to go through a legislative process and win the support of the Virginia General Assembly. After that, it was followed by the referendums in the four cities (Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth, and Norfolk), which desperately needed the economic boost.
Hard Rock Casino to Launch Official Operations in Summer 2024
The Hard Rock Bristol Casino is a joint project by Hard Rock International, The United Company, and Par Ventures. The trio plans to erect a temporary casino complete with gaming and dining choices in part of the former Bristol Mall. Meanwhile, the fully-fledged Hard Rock casino, hotel, and resort facility is scheduled for a summer 2024 grand opening.
Currently, the partners in the project hope to begin gaming operations for the temporary facility in three months. The transitory casino dubbed ‘Bristol Casino – Future Home of Hard Rock’ will have 30,000 square feet of casino space packed with 870 slots, 22 table games, a sportsbook, two bars, two restaurants, and a Rock shop retail center.
The complete facility slated for the summer 2024 debut will be a $400 million grand project planned to offer a host of impressive features, including:
Expressing his delight about the decision by the Virginia Lottery Board, Jon Lucas, the Chief Operating Officer of Hard Rock International, said,
Quote“We are excited by the Virginia Lottery Board’s action today granting a license to open Virginia’s first Casino in Bristol subject to the completion of outstanding operational activities. We appreciate the Virginia Lottery’s assistance and diligence in working closely with our team over many months to reach today’s important milestone for Bristol, Southwest Virginia, and the Commonwealth.”
Without a doubt, Virginia and, more specifically, Bristol will reap huge rewards from the Hard Rock Bristol casino, hotel, and resort. There will be tons of jobs available for the local population, and the state will also collect much-needed tax revenue to fund different development projects. Cheers to the Old Dominion’s new milestone!
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