Danville Casino set to open after Virginia Lottery Board approves operating license
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RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ/Caesars Release) - The Virginia Lottery Board has approved an operating license for Caesars Virginia, the company that is bringing a new casino to Danville.
The vote Wednesday morning also cleared the way for the opening of a temporary casino in mid-May.
“I move that the Virginia Lottery Board find that Caesars Virginia LLC meets the criteria for a casino gaming facilities operator’s license,” one board member said after a lengthy presentation by officials from Caesars and the Virginia Lottery.
The vote Wednesday morning was the latest milestone in a lengthy process that began with the approval of casino gambling in 2020. Caesars Virginia will be the third casino in Virginia, and the company expects to invest more than $650 million in the entertainment complex.
The permanent casino is due to open in late 2024.
Chris Albrecht is the General Manager of Caesars Virginia.
“We’re keeping the three sisters smokestacks there, kind of our nod to the past there. and you’ll see this wonderful regional destination that truly will be one of the best regional properties that Caesars has to offer and one I would say would be one of the best in the United States,” Albrecht said.
To do that Caesars will need an army of employees.
Officials said they have received more than 1,500 applications, made more than 350 job offers to date, and have more than 100 people enrolled in dealer school.
Wednesday afternoon, the company announced the temporary casino will take its first bet on May 15.
The Virginia Lottery Board has approved an operating license for Caesars Virginia, the company that will operate a new casino in Danville. That sets the stage for the temporary Danville Casino to open May 15, 2023.
Construction continues to progress next door on the permanent resort, which is slated to open in late 2024.
This approval April 26, 2023, came after a review of application materials submitted by Caesar’s Virginia, LLC and a background investigation by the Virginia Lottery. Under legislation passed by the General Assembly in 2020, the Virginia Lottery licenses and regulates casinos and sports betting in the Commonwealth.
The company expects to invest more than $650 million in the Danville project and open a permanent casino in the fall of 2024.
“For months, the Lottery’s Gaming Compliance Department and legal team have conducted background investigations and examined every detail of this application,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kelly T. Gee. “Those investigations include not just Caesar’s Virginia, but all the vendors and employees as well.”
Casino regulations, information and approvals can be viewed here.
The temporary Danville Casino is a 40,000-square-foot facility that will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week beginning May 15 at 10 a.m. ET pending successful completion of test dates with the Virginia Lottery, according to casino officials. Property offerings include:
“We’ve received an incredible outpouring of support and cooperation to get us to this day, especially from the Danville community and the surrounding areas,” said Chris Albrecht, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Danville Casino and Caesars Virginia. “The opening of the Danville Casino is a monumental step forward for us, and we are excited to begin welcoming guests on May 15.”
The Danville Casino will create 400 new jobs at the temporary facility, according to casino officials.
Caesars Virginia, the permanent resort, will include a 500-room hotel and a casino gaming floor with over 1,300 slots, 85 live table games, 24 electronic table games, a WSOP™ poker room and a Caesars Sportsbook. In addition, the resort will feature a full-service spa, pool, bars and restaurants, a 2,500-seat live entertainment theater and 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.
