Third Richmond On line casino Vote Unlikely, Lawmakers Search Assure
In November, Richmond voters rejected a proposed on line casino for the second time by means of a neighborhood referendum. Whereas it appears unlikely that the Virginia capital’s Metropolis Council will provoke a 3rd referendum on a gaming resort venture — significantly after voters final yr extra strongly opposed a on line casino than they did through the first vote in 2021 — two state lawmakers need to strip metropolis officers of the on line casino privilege.
Two Virginia lawmakers need to be certain that Richmond doesn’t ask metropolis residents to vote on a on line casino for a 3rd time. Voters within the Virginia capital have twice rejected a proposed gaming resort. (Picture: Virginia.org)
Virginia lawmakers in 2020 approved 5 cities, together with Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Bristol, and Danville, to think about casinos. The laws supplied particular particulars qualifying every metropolis.
The 2020 legislation didn’t establish the cities by identify, however as a substitute certified every by means of detailed legislative language.
The 2020 invoice explains that an eligible host metropolis consists of “any metropolis with a inhabitants better than 200,000, in accordance with the 2018 inhabitants estimates from the Weldon Cooper Heart for Public Service of the College of Virginia, during which at the very least 24% of the assessed worth of all actual property in such metropolis is exempt from native property taxation, in accordance with the Virginia Division of Taxation Annual Report for Fiscal Yr 2018, and that had a poverty fee of at the very least 24% in 2017, in accordance with information supplied by the U.S. Census Bureau.” That particular language certified Richmond for a on line casino.
Payments to Finish Richmond On line casino Referendums
State Del. Betsy Carr (D-Richmond) launched laws this week that will strip the aforementioned language from the Virginia statute that legalized industrial casinos within the commonwealth. In the meantime, Del. Michael Jones (D-Richmond) has launched laws that will prohibit a qualifying on line casino host metropolis from conducting a number of referendums.
All however Richmond held single referendums approving their casinos. Whereas Carr and Jones are campaigning to stop Richmond from asking voters to approve a on line casino for a 3rd time, lawmakers representing different components of the state have filed laws to achieve on line casino referendum privileges.
For the reason that time of the primary failed Richmond on line casino vote, Petersburg has expressed curiosity in changing into a on line casino host location. Petersburg is about 25 miles south of the state capital.
State Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) is spearheading the Petersburg on line casino push in 2024. Nicknamed the “On line casino Girl” for her years of advocating for the commonwealth to permit Las Vegas-style playing, Lucas is a robust lawmaker who has served within the Richmond capital since 1992. She’s been the Senate President Professional Tempore since January 2020.
State Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax) has authored laws to permit Fairfax County’s Tysons to grow to be a industrial on line casino host. He believes a on line casino in Northern Virginia would ship the state appreciable tax income, and preserve the estimated $100 million that Northern Virginians lose at casinos in neighboring Maryland contained in the commonwealth.
Richmond On line casino Conclusion?
Richmonders narrowly defeated their proposed on line casino in 2021 by a 51%-49% end result. That venture was referred to as ONE On line casino + Resort.
Undeterred, the Richmond Metropolis Council and Mayor Levar Stoney (D) moved ahead with a second referendum with the hope {that a} extra coordinated public marketing campaign hyping the advantages that such a resort would carry the capital metro would lead to a unique end result.
Richmond’s authorities once more partnered with City One, a media conglomerate tailor-made to the Black group. The Richmond Grand Resort & On line casino, as that venture was referred to as after being envisioned in a partnership with Churchill Downs, ran a marketing campaign referred to as “Richmond Wins, Vote Sure.”
Within the days earlier than the vote, City One execs and on-air personalities induced controversy with a few of their remarks. City One founder Cathy Hughes injected race into the dialog by claiming opponents to the on line casino are opponents to the Black group.
Don’t forget that they don’t see you as a human being,” Hughes mentioned on a radio present produced by City One. “Despite the fact that you will have a home like theirs, a automobile like theirs, and your kids go to the identical faculties, they see you as a n*****.”
Radio host Preston Brown later referred to as one of many on line casino’s largest opponents, political activist Paul Goodman, “a white Jew with a background of Judas.”
The 2023 Richmond on line casino was defeated by a 58%-42% vote.
