Richmond casino failure has other Virginia cities competing to gamble
Earlier this month, Richmond voters rejected a casino resort proposal for the Virginia metropolitan area for the second time. That has led state lawmakers and local officials in other counties and cities to consider whether there are opportunities to weigh in on similar projects.
When Virginia lawmakers approved commercial casinos in 2020, they did so in a carefully crafted way, using gambling as an economic stimulus. Cities petitioned the state Legislature to include it in gambling laws, and in addition to Richmond, cities such as Norfolk, Portsmouth, Bristol and Danville were also eligible.
These cities meet the eligibility criteria for the Gambling Act, such as: B. A population decline of at least 20% between 1990 and 2016 and a minimum poverty rate of 20% in 2017. The casino bill requires gambling developments to undergo local approval and a citywide referendum before they can be approved.
After Richmond rejected its casino opportunity for the second time in three years, state Sen. David Marsden (D-Burke) and Del. Lane Williams (R-Stuart) thinks Fairfax County should be given a chance. Although Fairfax is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, politicians believe that the diversification of Washington's suburbs will only lead to further growth in the northern Virginia counties that border Alexander and Arlington counties.
Marsden also believes that casinos can save Metro's Silver Line and its new $3 billion, 11.4-mile segment connecting Reston and Loudoun counties. Ridership continues to decline, and opening a casino will increase demand in Washington, D.C., he said.
Approval Path
Marsden and Williams are expected to reintroduce gambling laws when the Virginia General Assembly meets in January.
Marsden and Williams aroused Comstock's interest in the casino. The Reston-based mixed-use real estate developer is considering how to redevelop several former car dealerships on Chain Bridge Road. In Tysons, a casino opened.
Some local officials were not present. The group includes Hunter Mill District Manager Walter Alcorn (D), Reston Association Board President John Farrell and Reston Civic Association President Lynn Mooreston.
Alcorn recently asked the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for answers to specific concerns he and many community members have about the state allowing casinos in the county. What matters most is whether county leaders believe they have the authority to single-handedly put a casino referendum before voters.
Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill told The Alcorn this week that the county actually legally believes casinos can be classified as "places of public entertainment," as Patch first reported , and would allow casinos within commercial retail areas without the need for rezoning.
Under this provision, casinos will be allowed in these specific areas, subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors,” Hill explained.
Hill added that under Virginia's current gambling laws, a hypothetical referendum would identify one location for the casino, rather than multiple possible locations. The county executive said if the General Assembly changes the law to allow Tysons to consider building a casino, further changes could be made to allow for a referendum that would include multiple locations.
“The Reston Association assures its members that it opposes the construction of a casino,” Farrell said in response to Hill. “We are not aware of any site in Reston that is approved as a place of ‘public entertainment’ and we find Mr. Hill’s statement confusing.”
St. Petersburg Silence
After Richmonders voted "no" for their casino for the first time in the November 2021 election, officials in nearby Petersburg called on state lawmakers to move the capital's gambling privileges about 20 miles south. State Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Petersburg) led the fight, although his bill ultimately stalled.
Morrissey lured Baltimore-based Cordish Companies to launch a $1.4 billion integrated resort-casino that will be built in phases in Petersburg over several years.Morrissey lost the Democratic primary in June. He will be on the 10th. Retire from the State Senate in January 2024.
St. Petersburg authorities have not yet said whether they will continue efforts to acquire the casino prospect. St. Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham said last year that casinos could "transform this city."
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Source: www.casino.org
