Danville Officials Unfazed by Attempts to Legalize Casinos in North Carolina
Leaders in Danville, a town in Virginia, where Caesars Entertainment recently opened a makeshift casino, aren't too concerned about efforts taking shape in North Carolina to legalize commercial casino resorts. The casino developer has pledged $650 million to transform Danville into a place with Caesars Virginia.
This integrated resort casino is one of four to be sanctioned in the state through a 2020 law.
Meanwhile, North Carolina legislators are currently exploring the potential of permitting up to three commercial casinos in the counties of Rockingham, Anson, and Nash. Rockingham, situated to the north of Greensboro, shares a border with Danville.
When questioned about whether the North Carolina casino legalization efforts pose a challenge for Caesars in Danville, local authorities expressed little concern. They stated that's why they opted for Caesars in the first place.
"The Caesars brand, the Caesars name, is in a league of its own. We feel comfortable with what we have and will have in the years to come," Danville City Councilor Lee Vogler said to the Danville Register & Bee.
Offensive Strategy
The Virginia 2020 gaming law allowed Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Bristol, and Danville to gauge public opinion on a potential commercial casino resort. The idea behind this initiative was to kickstart regional economic growth. Danville's authorities conducted a cutthroat auction for its one and only gaming license and Caesars emerged as the winner.
In the November 2020 election, Danville residents were polled for their thoughts on letting Caesars establish a resort casino on the site of the former Dan River Mills textile factory. Over 69% of voters were in favor of the proposal.
City Manager Ken Larking remarked that Caesars won the bidding war based on the most promising fiscal offer for the city. However, the brand familiarity of the gaming operator was also a factor.
Larking stated that authorities had anticipated North Carolina could also greenlight its own commercial casinos. But they believe the Caesars reputation would be enough to retain the South Virginia gaming market and draw gamblers from North Carolina even if the neighboring state eventually authorizes these gambling destinations.
"One of the reasons the city chose Caesars to operate within its limits is because of its strong brand recognition and customer loyalty base in North Carolina," Larking explained.
Caesars is in charge of running two of the three Native American casinos in North Carolina on behalf of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Harrah's Cherokee and Harrah's Cherokee Valley River are both found in the southern, mountainous part of the state.
"We'll be equipped to deal with [North Carolina casinos]," mused Danville Vice Mayor Gary Miller. "Caesars will be just fine, and we're going to have a top-notch resort. It's not just a casino."
Promising Debut
Caesars Virginia kicked off its temporary Danville Casino on May 15. This tented facility offers a total of 768 slot machines and 25 table games.
In June, the Danville Casino brought in approximately $18.9 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR), with slots clocking in at $14.3 million. Only Rivers Casino Portsmouth, a permanent casino featuring 1,418 slots and 81 table games, pulled $20.5 million from gamblers in June.
Hard Rock Bristol, a transient gaming venue housing 928 slots and 29 tables, raked in $12.7 million during the same period.
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Source: www.casino.org
