Virginia General Assembly approves casino legislation

The legislation was passed on Saturday night by the General Assembly, but no referendums will take place until 2020.

US.- The Virginia General Assembly passed on Saturday night the legislation that could bring casinos to Virginia and Bristol if approved by voters. The measure, which was approved 30-10 by the Senate and 64-33 by the House, awaits the signature from the Governor.

Substitute Senate Bill 1126, which authorises casino gaming in Virginia to be regulated by the Virginia Lottery Board,  establishes the licensing requirements for gaming in the state and sets penalties for violations of the casino gaming law. The bill also sets that casino gaming would be limited to certain cities in the state that meet the requirements outlined in the bill.

Moreover, a referendum must be passed in the city on the question of allowing casino gaming in the city, but the measure has been delated for at least a year and has to be passed before January 1, 2021. The bill sets that the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission must report no later than November 1 the recommendations for casino gaming in the commonwealth.

The Bristol Resort and Casino group said in a statement: “We are pleased that the General Assembly has created a framework for moving forward with this project. We look forward to working with the Governor on this legislation. The resort and casino will provide a major economic boost to the city of Bristol, as well as the entire Southwest Virginia and Tri-Cities region. We appreciate the strong support of our entire legislative delegation, who all see the importance of bringing more jobs and additional tax revenue to the region. As we take the next steps to make this project a reality, we will continue working closely with our local and state elected leaders.”