Virginia: Caesars' temporary Danville casino set to open its doors on May 15

The Caesars Virginia casino resort in Danville is scheduled to open the doors of its temporary gaming facility on May 15. The announcement comes after the Virginia Lottery Board approved, on Wednesday, an application from Caesars, making the operator the third commercial casino in the state’s history to receive a gaming license.  

Caesars Virginia’s temporary casino will officially be known as the "Danville Casino." The 40,000-square-foot venue will open next month with 740 slot machines, 25 table games, and 28 electronic table games. Eight Caesars Sportsbook self-service kiosks will also be on the casino floor. 

Rendering for the full Danville resort

The facility will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, starting at 10 a.m. on its opening date. Furthermore, the temporary Danville Casino is expected to create 400 new jobs upon opening.

As reported by the Danville Register & Bee, Virginia Lottery Board Board Chairman Ferhan Hamid said: "The Virginia Lottery Board takes very seriously its statutory role overseeing casino gambling in the Commonwealth. All Virginians, whether or not they use these facilities, need to be aware that they are operated and regulated responsibly."

Chris Albrecht, SVP and GM of Danville Casino and Caesars Virginia, commented: "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." 

"The opening of the Danville Casino is a monumental step forward for us, and we are excited to begin welcoming guests on May 15," he added, according to the above-mentioned media.

Del. Danny Marshall, R-Danville, called the lottery board’s approval “a big step for the city” for jobs and for bringing income into Danville. The full resort is expected to generate about $38 million in annual tax revenue for the city.

The permanent Caesars Virginia will include a 500-room hotel and a casino floor with more than 1,300 slots, 85 table games, 24 electronic tables, a WSOP poker room, and a Caesars Sportsbook. The resort will additionally feature 40,000 square feet of customizable convention space, numerous restaurants and bars, and a 2,500-seat concert venue. The resort is slated to open in late 2024.

Caesars Virginia is being built on the former grounds of the Dan River Mills campus, a historic plant that served as the economic heartbeat of the Danville region for decades. Whiting-Turner is the contractor building the Danville casino resort. The firm also has constructed the Horseshoe Baltimore, as well as projects at Caesars Palace Las Vegas, The LINQ Hotel+Experience Las Vegas, Harvey’s Lake Tahoe, and more. 

Virginia’s commercial gaming law passed in 2020 allowed five cities, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville, Bristol, and Richmond, to consider casino resorts. Voters in all but Richmond subsequently approved casino projects.

Hard Rock Bristol received the first gaming license in Virginia a year ago this month. Rivers Casino Portsmouth was second when its permanent property opened in January.