The opening of Caesars Virginia Casino Resort is still more than a year away, but progress is being made on the temporary casino in Danville, VA. According to Caesars Entertainment President and CEO Anthony Carano, the plans for the temporary casino are on schedule and expected to open in mid-year 2025.

Danville successfully met the requirements to become a host city for a casino. On Election Day 2020, the residents voted in favor of bringing a casino to Danville. The anticipated arrival of Caesars Virginia Casino Resort is expected to generate significant enthusiasm for this landlocked city, conveniently located just north of the North Carolina border.

Following a decisive 61-39 victory in favor of a casino referendum, the Danville City Council and its chosen casino collaborator, Caesars Entertainment, proceeded with the implementation of the project, titled Caesars Virginia.

The groundbreaking ceremony for Danville and Caesars Virginia Casino took place on August 11, 2022. However, a few unforeseen obstacles have led to a slight delay in the project timeline. As a result, the anticipated opening of the complete Caesars Virginia is now expected to be in late 2025.

Plans for the Caesars Virginia in Danville

The Dan River Mills industrial complex in Schoolfield will be transformed into Caesars Virginia, a luxurious hotel and resort with a price tag of $500 million, covering an expansive 85-acre site.

Caesars officials have announced that the resort will showcase various attractions, including:

• The hotel currently has 500 rooms, with the potential to expand and reach a total of 1,500 rooms in the future.
• A casino offering a sportsbook and poker room.
• 35,000-square-foot conference center
• 2,500-seat live entertainment venue
• Spa facilities, swimming pool, and gym
• There are numerous restaurants, bars, and retail shops available.

Located on West Main Street in the heart of the city, the Caesars Virginia site is nestled alongside the picturesque Dan River. This site holds great historical significance and is officially designated as a national historic district. Regrettably, the complex, which was previously the largest textile facility in the South, has remained largely unoccupied since 2006.

Caesars officials intend to incorporate the visual elements of the once-prosperous Dan Rivers Mill into the resort’s design, encompassing its smokestacks, red bricks, and overall industrial aesthetic.

Newest updates on the Danville casino

As the project progresses, Danville and Caesars officials come together on August 11, 2022, to conduct a groundbreaking ceremony.

On August 23, 2021, Caesars officials announce that the project budget has escalated from $400 million to $500 million.

On November 3, 2020, the residents of Danville expressed their overwhelming support for a casino referendum, thereby giving their formal approval to the Caesars Virginia project.

On September 2, 2020, the casino development agreement with Caesars Entertainment is formally approved and unanimously supported by the Danville City Council.

On August 12, 2020, a formal referendum campaign and committee called “Caesars For Danville” was announced by Caesars Entertainment. The purpose of this campaign is to bring casino gambling to the city of Danville. The co-chairs of this committee include Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones, Del. Danny Marshall (R-Danville), Averett University President Tiffany Franks, and project investor Tammy Wright-Warren.

On June 2, 2020, the Danville City Council made a unanimous decision to appoint Caesars Entertainment as its favored casino collaborator. Additionally, the vote included a suggestion to inform the Virginia Lottery about the city’s selection.

On May 18, 2020, the City of Danville officially declared that they are engaged in negotiations with Caesars Entertainment. Out of numerous exceptional proposals, Caesars Entertainment was selected for the opportunity to establish a casino resort in the city.

The city has established a deadline of January 13, 2020 for the submission of Request for Proposals (RFP) in order to select their preferred casino partner.

On December 2, 2019, the city officially releases a Request for Proposal (RFP) to businesses that express their interest in managing a casino within Danville.

Timeline for the Caesars Virginia project

In July 2020, officials in Danville have the opportunity to submit applications for the casino operator license.

Nov. 3: General election

The Secretary of State has officially certified the results of the Danville casino election in early December.

In August 2022, the groundbreaking ceremony for Caesars Virginia takes place, marking the official start of construction.

In the middle of 2025, the anticipated inauguration of the temporary Caesars casino is scheduled.

Caesars Virginia will be open to the public in the latter half of 2025.

Benefits of a Caesars, Danville partnership

The City of Danville stands to benefit greatly from positive implications.

The site would require an initial capital investment of $650 million. During the development of the former textile mill complex, around 900 construction jobs would be created. Once the casino resort is operational, it would generate 1,300 permanent positions.

The presence of this resort holds immense potential to breathe new life into the City of Danville, bolstering its economy, enhancing community stability, and fostering overall progress.

According to the City Council, the annual earnings for these positions would fall within the range of $35,000 to $47,000.

The city is poised to gain $20 million annually from gaming taxes and other sources of revenue related to gaming.

Moreover, an extra $4 million would be generated through annual taxes on commodities such as:

• Hotel taxes
• Real estate
• Transport
• Food and beverage

The City of Danville’s leaders have announced their intention to utilize the yearly earnings generated by the resort to fund essential investments aimed at fostering additional growth and opportunities within the community.