Stoney ‘adamantly’ opposes any attempt to block Richmond casino vote again

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - As this year’s General Assembly gets underway, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is making his stance clear - he adamantly opposes any legislation that would block the city from holding another vote on a casino.

Last year, lawmakers passed a budget amendment that blocked Richmond from holding another referendum until 2023 - paving the way for a study to look into bringing a casino to Petersburg.

A study by the Joint Audit Review and Commission found both Petersburg and Richmond could sustain casinos together.

However, in a Jan. 6 letter to lawmakers, Stoney said the study also found that Richmond’s net gaming revenue would increase by 29 percent, compared to Petersburg’s 18 percent.

Developers for One Casino + Resort promised the project would be a game-changer for revenue and jobs.

The location would’ve been in south Richmond, just off Interstate 95. The multi-million dollar development was going to include 100,000 square feet of casino space, a luxury hotel, a live theater, and dozens of new restaurants. They also said the project would’ve brought 4,500 construction and resort jobs to the city.

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