The Virginia Lottery Board has approved a third casino facility operator to open a casino – this one in Danville.
Caesars Virginia, LLC’s application for licensure was approved today after a comprehensive review and extensive background investigation by Virginia Lottery. The Virginia Lottery licenses and regulates casinos and sports betting in the state.
Caesars will initially operate at a temporary facility while it prepares to open its permanent facility. The website for Caesars LLC shows a planned opening in 2024. There is no opening date listed for the temporary location but there is speculation online that it could be as soon as June or July.
“The Virginia Lottery Board takes very seriously its statutory role overseeing casino gambling in the Commonwealth,” said Board Chairman Ferhan Hamid. “All Virginians, whether or not they use these facilities, need to be aware that they are operated and regulated responsibly.”
As the third facility operator in the state, Caesars Virginia will join Hard Rock Bristol and Rivers Casino Portsmouth.
Hard Rock Bristol received its license approval in April 2022 and subsequently opened the doors of its temporary facility to the public in July 2022.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth received its license approval in November 2022 and opened to the public in January 2023.
“For months, the Lottery’s gaming compliance department and legal team have conducted background investigations and examined every detail of this application,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kelly T. Gee. “Those investigations include not just Caesars Virginia, but all the vendors and employees as well.”
The taxes generated by sports wagering and casino gaming go toward priorities determined by the General Assembly.
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