When Richmond’s second casino referendum failed in late 2023, legislators from other Virginia cities saw an opportunity. 

State legislation allows for five cities to host casinos. Three of those cities – Bristol, Danville, and Portsmouth – have operational casinos. Norfolk voters approved a referendum, and city officials and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe are slowly working through the process of opening a casino there. 

Richmond was the fifth city named in legislation as a possible home for a casino, but referendums in 2021 and 2023 failed. With the 2024 legislative session underway, public officials in other Virginia cities are trying to take advantage of the opening. 

Cities seeking a casino

Sen. Dave Marsden has spoken to the media at length in recent months about wanting to bring a casino to Fairfax. Marsden filed SB 675 on Wednesday, and the bill makes good on his promise to try to bring a casino to the area. 

SB 675 would put a casino within a quarter mile of the Silver Line Metro Station, and other specifications in the bill suggest Marsden is aiming for the casino to be located in Tysons.

Another bill, SB 628, removes Richmond from the list of eligible host locales and replaces Virginia’s capital city with Petersburg. The push for Petersburg to host a casino comes after a similar legislative effort in 2022 fell short. SB 628 is expected to be discussed in committee Tuesday. 

Other bills aim to remove Richmond from Virginia legislation as an eligible host city but don’t add replacement cities. At the very least, it’s likely that Richmond’s immediate chance at hosting a casino has passed. 

No iCasino bills

While both retail and online sports betting are legal in Virginia, online casinos are not. 

It’s possible mobile casino apps could be legalized in Virginia in the future, especially with neighboring state West Virginia allowing them. One of Virginia’s other neighbors, Maryland, is expected to consider online casino legalization during the 2024 session. 

Still, no iCasino bills have been introduced in Virginia early in the 2024 session, and the topic is not frequently discussed by state legislators. 

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