Caesars Virginia Casino Delays December Grand Opening by Five Days

Virginia casino-goers are going to have to wait five extra days before they can check out a new gaming facility in Danville.

Caesars announced that its newest property on the south of the Commonwealth, right next to the North Carolina border, will now open on Dec. 17 instead of the Dec. 12 date that had been targeted. The announcement came roughly one month after the original grand opening date was released.

A press release did not explain the reason for the delay but confirmed details about the grand unveiling, including a guest appearance from NBA champion and legend Dennis Rodman.

Building the anticipation

The celebration for the new casino will begin at 10:15 a.m. ET before the doors open at noon. 

Attractions will include a show of race cars and supercars thanks to Virginia International Raceway, Kaizen Autosport, and Foreign Cars Italia. The cars will follow a route through the heart of Danville and finish their drive right at the new Caesars properties.

Rodman will be in one of the cars during the procession and will place the ceremonial first bet inside the facility.

Executives from Caesars Entertainment and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a local partner of the casino, will provide comments on the launch at 11:00 a.m.

Opening day will also include a fireworks and drone show at 8:00 p.m. “lighting the sky above the resort and historic ‘Three Sisters’ smokestacks.”

“We know that there is tremendous excitement for our grand opening, and we appreciate everyone’s patience with this short delay,” Chris Albrecht, Caesars Virginia general manager, said in the release. “The team has been working around the clock to officially open the doors.”

Virginia’s gambling market continues growth

Virginia residents and poser-bys can still use the temporary Danville Casino in the parking lot of the Caesars facility until the day of the grand opening. 

The new property, which is roughly an hour and a half from Raleigh, North Carolina, and an hour from Durahm, includes 1,400 slot machines, more than 80 live-dealer table games, and a 320-room resort. 

The facility’s campus will also include an entertainment and conference center that may seat up to 2,500 guests for various events. Estimates suggested the facility would cost $750 million to build in full.

The temporary facility has already been a resounding success, according to the Virginia Lottery. Monthly revenue reports suggested the facility generated more than 19 million dollars in June alone, leading to more than $1 million in tax funding for the state. 

Danville city manager, Ken Larking, said the temporary facility provided about $20 million in tax funding during its first year of operation, far more than what he expected. The full-fledged facility should offer an upgrade on the already-impressive totals. 

If everything goes to plan, Virginia will open another casino in Norfolk next to Harbor Park. The project was greenlighted by the local government and will be allowed to open as long as it is completed before the end of next year.