Over 500 new games have been approved by the Virginia Lottery for two full casino resorts scheduled to open in the state by the end of the year.
Last week, the Virginia Lottery provided a Gaming Update showing that 486 new casino games have been approved for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol and 50 for Caesars Virginia in Danville. The two companies currently operate a temporary casino for now until the full resorts are ready to open.
The temporary Bristol Casino, Future home of Hard Rock, currently has 907 slot machines and 29 table games available to guests. Caesars Virginia, also known as Danville Casino, has 826 slot machines and 36 tables games. The new games approved last week are for the permanent casino resorts.
A third casino, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, bypassed a temporary casino plan and opened a permanent casino in January 2023. The facility holds 1,417 slot machines and 84 table games.
Lottery board officials said they are holding monthly meetings with Hard Rock and Caesars to prepare for the opening of their permanent casinos by year’s end. The board also approved scheduled projects involving 322 games and 8 tables between the two resorts.
Finished Product
Once complete, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol will host a hotel, restaurants, bars, a 3,200-seat Hard Rock Live venue, a 20,000-person outdoor entertainment venue, and a country western nightlife experience. The resort will also feature a Rock Spa and Body Rock fitness center, a convention and meeting space, and a country music memorabilia experience.
Plans for Caesars Virginia in Danville include a 320-room hotel and world-class casino gaming floor with over 1,300 slot machines, 85 table games, 24 electronic table games, a World Series of Poker room, and a Caesars Sportsbook. The resort will also feature a full-service spa, pool, upscale bars and lounges, and a variety of dining options. The excitement continues in the 2,500-seat live entertainment theater and over 50,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.
The three casinos generated over $59 million in adjusted gross revenue in June from gaming (Hard Rock Bristol $14 million, Rivers Casino Portsmouth $26 million, and Caesars Virginia $19 million). The Virginia gambling market collected over $11 million in taxes from the casinos for the month, according to the Virginia Lottery’s latest casino gaming report.
Sports Betting Market Share
Last week’s lottery meeting also provided a deep look into Virginia’s sports betting market. Stiff competition in the Old Dominion, and other states, has caused a few companies to exit sports betting altogether recently.
Virginia launched online sports betting in January 2021 with FanDuel Sportsbook the first to go live. The state’s lottery office awarded over 15 sports betting licenses to companies over the next three years. Today 12 online sports wagering operators remain in the state after the departure of Golden Nugget, WynnBET, PointsBet, Unibet, SI Sportsbook, Superbook, and Betway.
Data provided by the Virginia Lottery last week shows from January 2024 to June 2024 FanDuel holds a 39.91% market share in the state with DraftKings following at 27.44%. Florida-based Betr Sportsbook finishes the list with a 0.02% market share.
During the same period, professional basketball received the most wagers in Virginia at 24.41% with tennis following at 11.61%. Motorsports, like NASCAR, generated the lowest action at 0.16%.
Virginia Sports Wagering Market Share by Operator:
- FanDuel Sportsbook 39.91%
- DraftKings Sportsbook 27.44%
- BetMGM Sportsbook 10.69%
- Caesars Sportsbook 5.80%
- bet365 5.16%
- ESPN BET 4.46%
- BetRivers Sportsbook 2.30%
- Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook 1.81%
- Fanatics Sportsbook 1.65%
- Bally Bet 0.19%
- BetFred Sportsbook 0.10%
- Betr Sportsbook 0.02%
