All of the costly lobbying push in Richmond led to nothing, as on November seventh, metropolis voters as soon as once more rejected a poll measure that will have allowed the development of a on line casino resort mission within the capital metropolis of Virginia.
In response to official knowledge offered by the Virginia Board of Elections, as of 9:15 PM, roughly 61% of Richmond voters voted in opposition to the on line casino. That is the second time in three years that the proposed on line casino institution was on the poll. Beforehand, in 2021, the mission proposal was rejected by a small margin by about 51% of the voters.
Levar Stoney, the Mayor of Richmond, launched a press release confirming the referendum outcomes, saying that he meant to proceed to be the voice for communities which have been traditionally uncared for.
The chief of the No Means No On line casino marketing campaign Paul Goldman confirmed that native voters went to determine the way forward for town.
In its flip, Richmond Grand Resort and On line casino issued a press release after the defeat of the referendum, saying that they had been pleased with their community-centered marketing campaign geared toward creating extra alternatives for native residents that will assist each them and town rise into the center class. The corporate shared it was grateful to the hundreds of people that supported its mission, particularly those within the southside who supported the proposed improvement with all their hearts.
Richmond Voters Do Not Assist On line casino Mission Regardless of New Jobs and Income Guarantees
The battle for the on line casino heated up over the yr, particularly after the measure was authorised to be a part of the November seventh poll. In August 2023, a Richmond circuit courtroom rejected an emergency order looking for to droop the on line casino referendum from being allowed on the poll. It was additionally in August when the on line casino received rebranded to the Richmond Grand Resort and On line casino.
Builders first tried to get the on line casino mission getting in 2021, after Virginia Lawmakers formally gave the inexperienced gentle to 5 on line casino venues across the state if native voters authorised the proposals. Not like the voters within the 4 different areas, Richmond residents voted down the mission on the time. Yesterday, they did so for the second time.
The mission, often known as the Richmond Grand Resort and On line casino, was proposed as a part of a partnership between City One and Churchill Downs. It might have featured 250 lodge rooms, a high-end on line casino, and different resort-style facilities, comparable to a 3,000 live performance venue and a 55-acre park.
On the time they unveiled the on line casino resort mission, the builders made massive guarantees, involving leisure choices, recent tax income and job progress. As beforehand reported by CasinoGamesPro, City One and Churchill Downs invested round $10 million right into a political committee to foyer in favor of the mission. Many metropolis officers, together with Richmond’s Mayor, have supported the proposed on line casino improvement, together with native enterprise and civil rights teams.
