Richmond, Virginia's Casino Ballot Delayed due to Judge's Intervention
A nonprofit from Richmond, Virginia will go before a judge to challenge a referendum for a local casino.
Judge William R. Marchant made a u-turn on his previous approval of plans for a casino vote in 2022. He suspended his decision from July 25, allowing the nonprofit and the city to present legal arguments against the casino proposal. This development followed an effort by the Good Lions, a charity group that operates bingo games in the city, to intervene in the case.
In June, Marchant okayed Richmond's plans for a ballot initiative to ask voters to approve a $500 million casino resort, which they had rejected two years prior. Now, the Good Lions and city lawyers have until Friday to submit their arguments regarding the casino. Marchant indicated that he'd make a ruling on the Lions' central points by August 23.
The Delay Affects Ballot Timelines
Marchant clarified that the Lions' case wouldn't affect plans to put the referendum on the November ballot unless they successfully argue their case.
The Good Lions claimed the mayor and council of Richmond violated state law by moving forward with the casino plan without taking into consideration any other proposals. This group, a chapter of Lions Club International, runs charitable bingo events at a local parlor, and they believe their operations could suffer significantly if a new casino enters the market. A state-sponsored analysis also points to potential negative effects.
The Battle over Bids
The proposed casino resort would be built by RVA Entertainment Holdings LLC, the same company chosen through a bidding process in 2021. However, since then, Churchill Downs Incorporated has joined the project with the existing participant, Urban One, a Baltimore media company.
During Wednesday's hearing, Richmond's Senior Assistant City Attorney Wirt P. Marks, arguing on behalf of the city, contended that the city didn't need to go through a new bidding process, asserting that the casino would be constructed on private land. An attorney for the Good Lions countered that claim, maintaining competitive bidding is "inherently part of the process" when electors must approve the project.
Marchant also hinted that the nonprofit might have a stronger case for getting an injunction rather than seeking to get involved in the current lawsuit. Good Lions' attorney, Christopher Robertson, informed WRIC they hadn't thought about an injunction request yet but weren't dismissing it.
If Richmond wins in court, voters will have the chance to vote on the proposal in the November 7 election. The question failed by a 51-49% margin in a previous attempt.
Supporters of the casino maintain it would generate 1,300 jobs and offer new revenue for the city. Richmond would receive $26.5 million in up-front payment.
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Source: www.casino.org
