Residents of Petersburg will likely get to vote later this year on whether or not they want their city to have Virginia’s fifth casino. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Residents of Petersburg, Virginia will have the opportunity to vote later this year on whether or not they want a casino in their city. On Thursday, the Virginia General Assembly approved an amendment proposed by Governor Glenn Youngkin that removed a clause from casino legislation that would have required the legislature to vote for a second time on a casino before Petersburg residents would get a chance to vote on it themselves.

fifth city was going to be Richmond, but casino referenda failed twice

Lawmakers passed a bill in 2020 that allowed for up to five casinos in Virginia. Bristol, Portsmouth, and Danville have theirs up and running and Norfolk’s is on the way. The fifth city was going to be Richmond, but casino referenda failed twice: 51-49% against in 2021 and 62-38% against in 2023.

Gov. Youngkin recently signed legislation that prevents Richmond from holding yet another vote and requires three years in between failed votes. That officially opened the door for Petersburg to be next in line.

Five companies are vying for the right to develop the Petersburg casino: Penn Entertainment, Bally’s, Rush Street Gaming, the Warrenton Group, and The Cordish Companies. Cordish unveiled its plan for a $1.4bn Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia on Monday, partnering with Bruce Smith Enterprise, helmed by Virginia Tech and Buffalo Bills football legend Bruce Smith.