The Caesars Virginia casino's long-awaited opening finally arrived on Tuesday.
NBA legend Dennis Rodman served as the Master of Ceremonies and made the casino's ceremonial first bet. The facility, located at 1100 W Main St in Danville, officially opened its doors to the public at noon.
Caesars Virginia is a state-of-the-art casino and resort with 1,500 slots, 79 table games, a WSOP poker room, and a Caesars sportsbook.
In addition to casino gaming, the property offers a wide range of dining options, including Ramsay’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, and a 320-room luxury hotel tower.
Will the Success of Retail Casinos Pave the Way for Online Gaming?
Before this official opening, Caesars Virginia launched a temporary gaming facility on the site's parking lot in May 2023. Earnings on that facility have delivered over $66 million in tax revenue to Danville and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Bristol Hard Rock Casino which opened in November has also been enjoying early success, reporting over $18 million in adjusted gross revenue last month.
Could the success of these retail locations eventually lead to the legalization of online casino gambling?
Traditional online casinos are currently only legal in seven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. Online sportsbooks on the other hand are legal in over 30 states nationwide, including Virginia.
Caesars Casino is just one of the many legal and regulated casino sites that could thrive in Virginia should legislation ever be passed to bring online gaming to the Commonwealth.
Social Casinos Offer an Alternative Option
On the bright side, there is another legal option for online casino-style gaming thanks to social casinos.
Using a sweepstakes-based business model to provide free games for fun and games with the potential to win real cash prizes, social casinos are legal in over 40 US states including Virginia.
Virginians interested in playing slots, table games, and even live casino games on their computer or mobile device can do so on popular sweepstakes casinos like High 5 Casino and WOW Vegas.
And perhaps as excitement around casino gaming continues to build with the opening of locations like Caesars Virginia, players will have more legal online options available to them in the future.
