Hard Rock Casino Coming To Bristol VA Following Board Approval
- Hard Rock International was approved to open a casino resort in Bristol, Virginia.
- The casino will be a $400 million project.
- Hard Rock was approved by a 4-0 vote from the Virginia Lottery Board and was approved by residents on their November ballots.
BRISTOL, Va. – Bristol, Virginia will be gaining a new casino resort following Hard Rock International being unanimously approved to launch its operation.
The Hard Rock Bristol will open in the vacant mall following the $400 million renovations. The casino will be a 300 to 600 room hotel resort with both indoor and outdoor entertainment.
Both residents and the Virginia Lottery Board voted to approve the opening of the Hard Rock Casino Resort. The board approved the launch unanimously 4-0.
Hard Rock Meets Bristol
Those gambling in Virginia will soon be able to place action at the Hard Rock Bristol.
After being approved by voters at the November 3 referendum, Hard Rock International began taking the proper steps to open the venue.
“This is a tremendous opportunity, not only for Bristol, but for the other financially distressed localities in Virginia,” said Randy Eads, City Manager. “Every locality that had a casino referendum passed it by at least a two-to-one margin. Bristol is now on the cusp of having a unique casino and resort destination here in our own backyard. We’ll be one of 278 locations worldwide for Hard Rock.”
Bristol has been losing $2.5 million in annual sales since the Bristol Mall closed down in 2017. The casino operation is expected to bring more than 2,000 jobs to the area.
Bristol is a smaller city in Virginia, with a total population of approximately 16,482. Local residents will benefit greatly from the increased revenue from a legal gambling operation in town.
No date for the construction of the new casino has been set, but it is expected to go underway following final regulatory approval.
While Hard Rock works on getting the casino construction underway, the Virginia Lotter Board has to work out the final regulations for casino gambling.
Gaming license applications are expected to be viewed as early as April 2021, with officials predicting the launch of casino gambling by April 2022.