St. Petersburg, Va. Casino odds increase after key senators approve
The chances of a commercial casino popping up in Petersburg, Virginia, have become increasingly slim. It comes after a bill to designate the town, about 25 miles south of Richmond, gained support from one of the most powerful state legislators in the union.
Legislation introduced in the General Assembly this week calls for changes to Virginia's 2020 commercial gambling law that would make five cities eligible to host commercial casinos. While Senate Bill 628 does not specifically name the city, it outlines the latest requirements for cities to consider casinos, authorizing casino gambling only in Petersburg.
The legislation was introduced this week by state Sens. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg).
Lucas, Virginia’s “Casino Lady” — who has fought for casinos for decades and was the lead sponsor of the state’s 2020 gaming law — opposed legislative efforts to designate Petersburg as a casino host site. Richmond previously rejected a 2021 proposal to build a casino. Last year, she stood her ground as then-Sen. Joe Morrissey (D-Richmond) continued her fight to make Petersburg eligible for casino products.
Last November, Lucas changed his mind after Richmonders voted against a casino in the capital for the second time. She also acknowledged that her strong opposition to Morrissey, with whom she clashed multiple times, played a role in her previous opposition to St. Petersburg's eligibility to become a casino.
Lucas also expects a Richmond casino referendum to pass in 2023. But after voters rejected the city’s casino offerings even more than they did in 2021, Lucas believes it’s time to redistribute gambling privileges.
St. Petersburg Casino Bill
Lucas' Petersburg casino bill was backed by Aird, who defeated Morrissey in the Democratic primary last June. Virginia’s 2020 casino law requires that only cities experiencing certain economic hardships can offer casino concessions. They will then ask residents to approve the city's chosen gambling development through a local referendum.
Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville, Bristol and Richmond all meet the criteria for the law. Subsequently, every city except Richmond held local referendums to approve a casino. Lucas and Elder's legislation seeks to change eligibility requirements with new standards tailored to Petersburg.
The law would give any city “an exemption from local property taxes on at least 17% of the assessed value of all properties in that city…with a 2019 poverty rate of at least 21%…and an annual poverty rate” with a 2020 unemployment rate of at least 13%. “St. Petersburg meets all these criteria.
City Support
Richmond hired Black-focused media group Urban One to develop its casino. This is despite the fact that the listed company has no experience in the hospitality or gaming industries.
Urban One has partnered with Los Angeles casino operator Peninsula Pacific Entertainment and last year partnered with Churchill Downs for the 2021 promotion. Richmond residents rejected the project each time, with white, affluent neighborhoods more vocally opposed to the project. Black voters are more supportive of casino initiatives.
St. Petersburg may have more favorable demographics to pass a casino referendum. Combined with the support of Mayor Samuel Parham (D) and the City Council, more than three-quarters of the city's residents are black.
Lucas and Elder's bill has been referred to the Senate General Law and Technology Committee for preliminary consideration.
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Source: www.casino.org
