Richmond Casino Measure Will Hit Ballots

This story was published more than 2 years ago.

Voters in Richmond, Virginia will end up getting to make their preference known on whether a casino resort should be constructed within the city, as the Richmond Circuit Court ruled that there should be a referendum on the November voting ballot.

The court ruled that voters should have a say in the matter after the Richmond City Council voted 8-1 to request that the court add the measure to the ballots.

Currently, the ONE Casino + Resort is planned to be built on the south side of the city near I95 on 100 acres. The project is expected to cost about $562.5 million, and would see 100,000 square feet of gaming space, 12 restaurants and bars, 3,000 seat theater, and 250 hotel rooms. It would also create more than 1,300 permanent jobs.

The project is being backed by developer Urban One, who said that they'll pay $15 per hour and that the development will have a $5.7 billion economic impact on the area.

In a statement, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney said, "We thank the court for its review and order to place on the November ballot a referendum on the project. This economic development project will bring 1,300 well-paying jobs and millions in much-needed revenue to our city while continuing the revitalization of South Richmond. And as we said from the beginning, the people will have the final say."

We'll be reporting on the outcome of the vote as it takes place later this year.

About the author

Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.