Caesars Danville: Latest Casino to Open in Virginia

Caesars Entertainment opened a temporary casino in a massive tent structure in Danville, VA on May 15. The temporary property will operate until the $650 million permanent structure opens. Caesars aims to open its full-fledged doors in 2024.

The temporary property has hundreds of games already:

● 700+ slot machines

● 25 table games

● 28 electronic table games

● 8 sports betting kiosks

There aren’t any poker rooms available in the casino, but the table games offered include a handful of fan-favorite variants.

Virginia Casinos On The Rise

Caesars’ temporary property joins a burgeoning casino market. Hard Rock Bristol and Rivers Casino Portsmouth have both opened (the former is also a temporary property), and additional casinos are planned for Norfolk and Richmond.

In April 2023, VA Casinos reported more than $35 million in revenue. Caesars will certainly contribute to a bump in earnings since it opened on May 15.

Not All Sunshine & Daisies

Caesars and its Danville property may be a success story, but Virginia casinos have experienced their fair share of setbacks.

In mid-may, Rivers Portsmouth was fined $275,000 for violating the state’s gambling regulations. The exact nature of the violations was unclear, though they included issues related to slot machine licenses and underage gamblers. The fine amounted to a slap on the wrist, and officials claimed that Rivers is taking sufficient measures to prevent similar issues in the future.

Meanwhile, neighboring North Carolina officials have some concerns about Virginia’s growing casino market. One recent study estimated North Carolina bettors crossing the border to gamble in Virginia could generate more than $250 million for Old Dominion. In response, some NC officials are calling for new casinos to be built in the state.

More To Come

Despite a few hiccups and worry from the neighbors, Virginia’s casinos are off to a solid start. With time to work out the kinks and run smooth operations, the market is poised for massive growth.