Virginia: Circuit court judge approves Petersburg casino referendum for November ballot

The Petersburg Circuit Court has approved a resolution allowing a referendum to bring casino gaming to the city. The motion was first unanimously approved by the City Council in a 7-0 vote Monday morning, in a meeting that lasted slightly more than two-and-a-half minutes.

Vice Mayor Darrin Hill, in whose Ward 2 the Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia would be built pending November voter approval, said he "proudly" made the motion to approve the action. Ward 7 Councilor Arnold Westbrook Jr seconded it, and very quickly the resolution was on its way to the courthouse, where Petersburg Circuit Court Judge Dennis Martin signed it a couple of hours later, as reported by The Progress Index.

Under Virginia law, any referendum must be approved by a circuit court judge before the ballot can be printed. Petersburg’s court has until August 16 to approve the referendum in time for it to go on the November 5 ballot.

The referendum states: "Shall casino gaming be permitted at a casino gaming establishment in Petersburg, Virginia, located on an approximate 92.5-acre development site located off Interstate 95 at Wagner Road along Brassfield Parkway in the City of Petersburg as may be approved by the Virginia Lottery Board?" followed by "yes" and "no" checkboxes. The wording of the referendum already is codified in state law, with the locality plugging in the exact location of the development. 

On July 9, the Lottery Board, which oversees Virginia’s gaming industry, sent a letter to the city administration approving Petersburg’s request to hold the referendum. Petersburg is one of five Virginia cities designated to host a casino operation.

In 2020, the General Assembly passed legislation establishing Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond as host cities if voters agreed. Four of the five approved their referendums, while Richmond voted twice and failed both times, paving the way for Petersburg to replace it.

Maryland-based The Cordish Companies and Virginia-based Bruce Smith Enterprise have partnered to invest $597 million in a casino, hotel, and entertainment complex on 92 acres of land in southern Petersburg. The cost includes a temporary casino the group will build onsite that they hope to have up and running by the end of 2025.