Richmond Mayor doubles down on referendum for casino project
Legislators opposing the move say Petersburg should host the new casino instead.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has cemented his position on his city’s right to host the development of a casino resort and to hold a second referendum on the proposed project.
In a letter sent last Friday to Richmond’s General Assembly, Stoney said there had been “misinformation surrounding my stance on the project,” which necessitated making his position ‘explicitly’ clear.
He faces strong opposition among some Richmond legislators. Senator Joe Morrissey is leading an effort to block the city from holding a second vote on the proposed project, and instead wants to give neighboring Petersburg exclusive rights to develop a casino resort in the region.
Morrisey, along with his ally Delegate Kim Taylor, have both backed legislation – Senate Bill 780 and House Bill 1373 – to block the second referendum until Petersburg voters have considered a $1.4bn casino resort in their city.
In his one-page letter, Stoney stated: “I adamantly oppose any legislation that constricts the rights of Richmond to have a resort casino.”
Delegate Lamont Bagby, Chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and a close ally of Stoney, backed the mayor and the council’s position in favor of the casino being located in Richmond.
Bagby commented: “Personally, I’d like to see the General Assembly do nothing and let the localities figure it out. If they do nothing, Richmond gets another bite at the apple and the people get to speak.”
Stoney remains committed to Urban One being the developer of the proposed casino, in partnership with Churchill Downs. He reminded legislators that a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report estimated that a Richmond casino would generate considerably more gaming revenue for Virginia than one in Petersburg.
Tags/Keywords
Players trust our reporting due to our commitment to unbiased and professional evaluations of the iGaming sector. We track hundreds of platforms and industry updates daily to ensure our news feed and leaderboards reflect the most recent market shifts. With nearly two decades of experience within iGaming, our team provides a wealth of expert knowledge. This long-standing expertise enables us to deliver thorough, reliable news and guidance to our readers.
Latest News
