“Richmond City officials should be embarrassed that they didn’t listen to the voters the first time. They also objected to being asked to vote on the issue again. Opponents raised concerns about the vetting of the developers, the project’s site and the casino industry in general, arguing that it would exploit the poor and working class. Many city leaders, including Mayor Levar Stoney, a presumptive candidate for governor in 2025, were ardent supporters, along with local business and civil rights groups.

They also poured around $10 million into a political committee that advocated for the project. The developers made big promises about the job growth, tax revenue and entertainment options the facility would provide. LAS VEGAS CASINO OFFICIALS FACE DILEMMA AS TRESPASSERS COLLECT JACKPOTS VA VOTERS TO DECIDE FATE OF RICHMOND RESORT CASINO PROPOSAL The development plan was a joint venture between Urban One, a publicly traded media company, and Churchill Downs, the Louisville-based operator of the Kentucky Derby that also runs gambling establishments across the country. The project - branded the Richmond Grand Resort and Casino - was proposed for a former tobacco company site just off Interstate 95 in south Richmond. But Richmond residents voted down the project then and did so again Tuesday. Despite a high-dollar lobbying push, Richmond voters on Tuesday rejected for a second time a ballot measure that would have opened the door to a proposed casino resort in Virginia’s capital city.ĭevelopers first tried in 2021, after the state Legislature paved the way for five casinos around the state if voters first gave their signoff.

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