A law passed in 2019 (Va. Code § 58.1-4100 et. seq.) allows for up to five brick-and-mortar casinos in Virginia. In November 2020, voters approved casinos in Bristol (Hard Rock), Danville (Caesars), Norfolk (Pamunkey) and Portsmouth (Rivers), according to 500 Nations. Since Richmond voters rejected their casino referendum in 2021, there has been an effort to allow the city of Petersburg (located about 25 miles south of Richmond) to acquire the license originally intended for Richmond, according to Play USA.

House Bill No. 2499, offered on January 20, 2023, proposes to amend § 58.1-4107 of the Code of Virginia with new locality criteria. The bill proposes to allow any county in the state with a population of at least a million people to hold a voter referendum on the issue of gaming, according to Play USA. The bill also states that “the site of the casino gaming establishment shall be limited to a location that is (i) within one quarter of a mile an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development, (iii) outside the Dulles airport flight path, and (iv) outside the Interstate 495 Beltway.”

Rivers Casino in Portsmouth celebrated its grand opening on January 23, making it the Commonwealth’s first full-service permanent casino.

Last Updated on January 25, 2023 by Ramin Seddiq