RICHMOND, Va. — General Assembly members from the House of Delegates and State Senate announced a unified effort to pursue casino gaming legislation in the 2019 Session on Monday.
The legislation would allow referenda in Portsmouth, Bristol, and Danville for local residents to choose whether to pursue these major economic development projects for their localities.
“I have been working for a number of years to bring a casino to Portsmouth,” said Senator Louise Lucas (D-18, Portsmouth). “I am excited to join with my colleagues in Southwest and Southside to help make this a reality for these three localities, Portsmouth, Bristol, and Danville.”
The projected benefits to allow a casino to be built in Portsmouth includes over 2,000+ employees during one year of operation, and up to 5,200 full-time employees by year seven.
A casino would bring in about $52.1 million in an estimated annual local tax revenue after year seven of operation. By year seven, it's estimated that all revenue streams are projected to bring a recurring annual economic impact of $1.07 billion to Portsmouth and $2.09 billion total for Virginia.
“I am excited about the many benefits this project could bring to residents in Portsmouth, and across the region,” said Delegate Steve Heretick (D-79, Portsmouth). “We need the new jobs and the additional tax revenue. Beyond the significant economic development impact, this project will be a major tourism draw, attracting visitors to our region.”
Virginia is one of a handful of states that forbids casino gambling, but lawmakers have appeared more open to changing the law in recent years.
Legislators are also considering whether Virginia should offer sports wagering.
Gov. Ralph Northam is pushing for a yearlong study of gambling-related legislation, but supporters of gambling-related bills say there's no need to wait.
View the House Joint Resolution legislation here:
Click here to view the House Bill.
The Associated Press Contributed to this report.