“I would tell local government in Danville to be hands-on as much as you can,” said Jeff Reiter, economic development director in Bettendorf, Iowa. While you’d be hard-pressed to find another town in the exact same situation as Danville or Bristol (many states have had legal casino gambling for decades), a few other small towns have similar experiences and relevant insight to share. So, some advice from other smaller towns that opened casinos might be helpful.
This means that operating a casino resort is an entirely new experience for both cities – and the state as well. Only five cities were approved as locations to build casino resorts, including Danville and Bristol, where voters approved a casino referendum in 2020. Virginia was one of the last states in the country to legalize casino gambling in 2019. But because these casinos will be the some of the first of their kind in the state, it may be as daunting as it is exciting. Excitement is growing around the casino projects in Danville and Bristol.
