Lawmakers in Petersburg, Virginia recently voted in favor of bringing in a new casino to the city. Legislation passed in both the House of Delegates and in the Senate.
The House voted to adopt a recent bill proposed by Senator Lashrecse Aird by a vote of 78 to 18. Soon after passing it in the House, the Senate voted to approval the bill by a vote of 24 to 16.
Aird’s bill is now on its way to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk.
According to local news reports, this is the second time the Senate has voted on this proposal. Lawmakers passed the bill last month. However, the House added a condition which said that the Senate would need to vote again “at a subsequent regular or special session” during the General Assembly.
During the past few years, the question of whether Petersburg would welcome a casino has been answered with a resounding no. The Senate committee struck down attempts to land a casino in Petersburg during both the 2022 and 2023 legislative session.
But Petersburg is not the only Virginia city that is now considering adding a new casino.
In recent months, the Richmond City Council introduced papers for a $562m casino resort project, which would feature a luxury hotel, 55 acres of green space and a live entertainment venue.
Partners Urban ONE and Churchill Downs Incorporated advertised the project nearly two years ago. However, city residents struck down the proposal for the casino resort by a narrow vote in November 2021.
