- ONE Casino’s proposal for operating a casino in Richmond has been preliminarily accepted.
- The Evaluation Panel opted for the ONE Casino proposal over a proposal from Cordish Companies.
- ONE Casino would be the first black-owned casino in the country.
LAS VEGAS - Richmond, Virginia has moved a bit closer to the establishment of a casino in the city.
With legal sports betting allowed in the state, the attention of various Virginia city governments turned to who would be operating the newly opened casinos that were approved in November.
While VA does not have online casino gambling, five cities, including Richmond, were approved to open brick and mortar casinos within their borders.
In Richmond, the choice was between ONE Casino and Cordish Companies. ONE Casino, notably, was proposed by Urban One, a black-owned business.
Urban One targeted its proposal at the south end of the city, while Cordish’s proposal was aimed at Scott’s Addition, the brewery neighborhood of the city.
The city of Richmond opted for the proposal from Urban One, citing the potential economic benefits in South Richmond.
“ONE Casino + Resort presents a tremendous opportunity to develop a resort casino project in Richmond,” said Mayor Levar Stoney. “The project will create over 1,000 good-paying jobs, generate a significant amount of new revenue for the city, and establish an additional economic engine in South Richmond. I applaud the work of the Evaluation Panel in their vetting of the proposals and engaging the entire city throughout this project.”
ONE Casino, by virtue of Urban One being a black-owned business, would be the first black-owned casino in the country.
The project is expected to be introduced to the city council on Monday, with meetings on Tuesday to follow up.
Urban One CEO Alfred Liggins conveyed a tone of joy in a statement about the project, and doubled down on ONE’s commitment to economic revitalization in Richmond.
“ONE is thrilled the Richmond casino selection committee has chosen the best project with the best location and best team to develop a world-class entertainment destination in Richmond’s Southside,” said Liggins. “Urban One and our diverse group of local investors are fully committed to creating good paying jobs with profit-sharing for employees, pathways to successful careers, and generating significant new tax revenues that can improve Richmond’s schools and fund community programs and infrastructure.”