Virginia's Casino Era Has Arrived — The Commonwealth's Complete Gaming Guide.
Hard Rock Bristol, Rivers Portsmouth, Caesars Danville, Rosie's HHR & Virginia Sports Betting — Your 2026 Virginia Gaming Resource
Virginia's casino landscape is among the newest in the United States — and one of the most ambitious. The Commonwealth approved casino gaming in 2020, with the landmark Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol opening in 2022 and Caesars Virginia completing its Danville resort in 2024. Virginia now operates three full-scale casino resorts, a statewide historical horse racing network through Rosie's Gaming Emporium, and a mobile sports betting market that launched in January 2021 and consistently ranks among the nation's largest by handle. More development is in the pipeline. Virginia borders states with major casino infrastructure on every side — Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee — and its internal market is designed to capture the billions in gaming revenue that Virginia residents previously exported to neighboring states.
ABOUT VIRGINIA GAMING
For decades, Virginia's gaming story was primarily one of export. Virginia residents drove to West Virginia for Hollywood Casino at Charles Town or the Greenbrier's casino. They drove to Maryland for MGM National Harbor. They crossed into North Carolina for Harrah's Cherokee. The money Virginia generated in gaming revenue largely left the state. When the Virginia General Assembly passed HB 4 and SB 36 in April 2020, authorizing casino gaming in five designated cities — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond — the stated rationale was direct: capture that exported gaming revenue and put it to work in Virginia communities. Casino gaming in Virginia requires voter approval in the designated host city, meaning each property had to be approved by local referendum before development could proceed.
The first Virginia casinos emerged from the 2020 legislation quickly by development standards. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol opened a temporary gaming facility in July 2022 and its full permanent resort in early 2024, becoming the first full-scale casino resort in Virginia history. Rivers Casino Portsmouth, operated by Rush Street Gaming, opened in January 2023 in the Hampton Roads market, giving the state's largest population center its first casino. Caesars Virginia completed its Danville resort in 2024, rounding out the southern Virginia market with a full-service Caesars property. Additional development — including a proposed resort in Norfolk and potential Northern Virginia development — continues to move through the approval and development process.
Virginia's gaming landscape includes a significant historical horse racing infrastructure that predates the casino legalization wave. Colonial Downs Group, now operating as Rosie's Gaming Emporium under Churchill Downs Inc., operates multiple HHR (historical horse racing machine) locations across the state: New Kent County (adjacent to the Colonial Downs racetrack), Richmond-area locations, Hampton, Vinton, Emporia, Collinsville, and others. HHR machines display historical race results and pay out based on pari-mutuel wagering pools — they are classified as horse racing wagering, not casino gaming, under Virginia law, which means they're regulated differently from casino gaming and are subject to horse racing's minimum age requirements. Rosie's locations provide casino-like gaming access to Virginia residents who aren't within range of a full casino resort, and they have driven substantial gaming revenue since their 2019 introduction.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol
Operator: Hard Rock International (joint venture with Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Address: 500 Gate City Hwy, Bristol, VA 24201
Phone: (276) 644-7625
Website: https://www.hardrockcasinobristol.com
On the Virginia/Tennessee state line — Bristol straddles two states, and Hard Rock's resort sits at the convergence of two Appalachian gaming markets
Drive Times
- From Roanoke VA: ~75 miles / ~1.25 hr via I-81 South
- From Knoxville TN: ~110 miles / ~1.75 hr via I-81 North
- From Charlotte NC: ~180 miles / ~2.75 hr via I-85 + I-26 + I-81
- From Tri-Cities (Kingsport/Johnson City): ~20–30 miles / ~30 min via US-11E or I-26
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is Virginia's most distinctive casino resort — a full-scale destination property positioned on the Virginia/Tennessee state line in one of America's most iconic music heritage cities. Bristol is the birthplace of country music, and the Hard Rock Bristol project leaned into that identity from the beginning: the resort incorporates significant music and cultural programming alongside its gaming operation, connecting the international Hard Rock brand to local Appalachian heritage in a way that creates a genuine sense of place rather than a generic casino experience. The property was developed as a joint venture between Hard Rock International and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the same tribe that operates Harrah's Cherokee casino in North Carolina — bringing tribal gaming experience and capital to what was a purely commercial market.
The permanent Hard Rock Bristol resort encompasses a hotel tower, full gaming floor with slots and table games, multiple dining venues, an entertainment venue for live music and events, spa, and resort amenities across a campus designed to draw visitors from both the Virginia and Tennessee sides of the Bristol market. The property draws from Tri-Cities Tennessee-Virginia (Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol — combined population 500,000+), from Roanoke and southwest Virginia, and from visitors making the resort a destination stop on a broader Appalachian touring itinerary.
Virginia's Open Casino Resorts — 2026
Virginia's three open casino resorts serve the state's major population regions. Bristol anchors southwest Virginia and the Tri-Cities market. Portsmouth serves Hampton Roads, Virginia's largest population center. Danville serves Southside Virginia and draws from the North Carolina Piedmont.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol
500 Gate City Hwy, Bristol VA
Virginia's first casino resort. Full-scale Hard Rock property on the VA/TN state line: hotel, casino floor, live music venues, multiple dining options, spa, entertainment programming. Joint venture with Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Serves southwest Virginia and Tri-Cities TN/VA market.
https://www.hardrockcasinobristol.comRivers Casino Portsmouth
3500 Harbour Way, Portsmouth VA 23703
Hampton Roads' casino resort, opened January 2023. Full gaming floor with slots, table games, poker room; multiple dining venues; hotel; entertainment. Portsmouth sits across the Elizabeth River from downtown Norfolk and is within 20 miles of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, and Newport News. Rush Street Gaming's Virginia flagship.
https://www.riverscasino.com/portsmouthCaesars Virginia
Danville VA
Caesars Entertainment's Virginia resort, opened 2024. Full-service casino resort in Danville, Southside Virginia: hotel, casino floor, dining, entertainment, Caesars Rewards integration. Danville is approximately 45 miles north of Greensboro NC and draws substantially from the North Carolina Piedmont market.
https://www.caesars.com/caesars-virginiaRosie's Gaming Emporium — Historical Horse Racing Across Virginia
Rosie's Gaming Emporium, operated by Churchill Downs Inc.'s Colonial Downs Group, provides historical horse racing (HHR) machine gaming at multiple Virginia locations. HHR machines function similarly to slot machines but are classified under horse racing wagering law — they display historical race results and pay out based on pari-mutuel pools. Rosie's locations predate Virginia's casino resorts and provide casino-style gaming access for Virginia residents statewide.
What Is HHR?
Historical horse racing machines operate using a database of past horse races. Each play pulls a randomized historical race from the database, calculates the wagering pool based on the participants' bets, and pays out accordingly. The machines display the race result as part of the outcome — giving players the visual experience of horse race wagering in a fast-paced, slot-machine format. Virginia law classifies HHR as horse racing wagering rather than casino gaming, which means Rosie's locations are regulated by the Virginia Racing Commission rather than the Virginia Lottery's casino division, and are subject to horse racing age requirements rather than the 21+ casino minimum.
Rosie's Locations
- New Kent (Colonial Downs racetrack campus) — New Kent County, between Richmond and Williamsburg: https://www.rosiesgaming.com
- Richmond area — multiple locations serving the state capital market
- Hampton — serving the Peninsula and Hampton Roads
- Vinton — serving the Roanoke Valley
- Emporia — serving Southside Virginia
- Collinsville — serving Henry County and the Martinsville area
- Dumfries — serving Northern Virginia and the DC metro
Visit https://www.rosiesgaming.com for current locations, hours, and gaming information.
Virginia Sports Betting — Full Mobile Since January 2021
Virginia launched legal sports betting on January 21, 2021 — among the first wave of states to go live after the 2018 PASPA repeal. Virginia operates a full mobile sports betting market: licensed operators can offer mobile wagering to anyone physically located in Virginia who is at least 21 years old.
How it works
Virginia's sports betting market is regulated by the Virginia Lottery, which oversees licensing, compliance, and consumer protection. The market is mobile-first: Virginia's major operators launched mobile wagering before retail sportsbooks at casinos were available, and mobile has driven the vast majority of Virginia's handle. Retail sportsbooks now operate at the open casino resorts in Bristol, Portsmouth, and Danville.
Virginia's sports betting market is driven primarily by the DC-Northern Virginia market — one of the largest media markets in the country, without a casino within the District itself (MGM National Harbor is just across the Maryland line, and DC's own entertainment betting is separate). Virginia's NFL market (Washington Commanders), NBA (Wizards), NHL (Capitals), MLB (Nationals), and college sports (Virginia, Virginia Tech) create year-round wagering depth. Virginia consistently ranks among the top 10 states nationally by sports betting handle.
Key Facts
- Launched: January 21, 2021
- Model: Full mobile statewide + retail at licensed casino resorts
- Minimum age: 21+
- Tax rate: 15% on adjusted gross revenue (all operators)
- Regulator: Virginia Lottery — https://www.valottery.com
- Affiliate licensing: Sports Betting Vendor Registration required under Virginia law (Virginia Lottery)
- Major licensed operators: DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, BetRivers, ESPN Bet, bet365, PointsBet
Virginia Gaming by Region — Your City-by-City Guide
Hampton Roads (Portsmouth / Virginia Beach / Norfolk)
Virginia's largest population center (1.8M+) is served by Rivers Casino Portsmouth, which opened in January 2023 on the Portsmouth waterfront across the Elizabeth River from downtown Norfolk. The casino is within 20 miles of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, and Suffolk — effectively a regional casino for the entire Hampton Roads metro. For Virginia Beach and Norfolk visitors who previously drove to North Carolina or Maryland for casino gaming, Rivers Portsmouth brought a full-service casino resort within easy day-trip reach. The Norfolk area may also see additional casino development through proposed projects that are in the pipeline.
Southwest Virginia (Bristol / Roanoke / Tri-Cities)
Hard Rock Bristol serves the southwest corner of Virginia and the Tri-Cities Tennessee-Virginia market from its position on the state line. Bristol itself straddles Virginia and Tennessee — the state line literally runs down the middle of State Street through downtown Bristol. For Roanoke (75 miles northeast), the resort is a 75-minute drive via I-81 South. For the Tri-Cities market of Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol TN/VA (combined 500,000+), Hard Rock Bristol is a local destination — a short drive rather than an overnight trip.
Southside Virginia / North Carolina Border (Danville)
Caesars Virginia in Danville opened in 2024, serving Southside Virginia and drawing substantially from the North Carolina Piedmont market. Danville sits approximately 45 miles north of Greensboro, NC, and 30 miles from the Virginia-North Carolina border. This positioning makes Caesars Virginia the closest full-scale casino resort for a large swath of the NC Piedmont (Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Burlington) where residents previously had to drive to Cherokee NC or farther afield.
Northern Virginia / DC Metro
Northern Virginia's massive population (3M+ in the DC metro Virginia suburbs) is the largest underserved gaming market in the state. Residents currently access gaming primarily through MGM National Harbor just across the Maryland line (~20 miles from Arlington), through online sports betting, or through Rosie's Gaming Emporium at the Dumfries location in Prince William County. Northern Virginia has been discussed as a potential casino development market, and any casino resort approved for this region would serve the highest-income demographic in Virginia.
Richmond / Central Virginia
Richmond's casino referendum failed in November 2021, leaving Virginia's capital without a casino resort. The Richmond market accesses casino gaming primarily through Rosie's HHR locations in the area, through Hard Rock Bristol (~3 hours south), through Rivers Portsmouth (~1.5 hours east), or through MGM National Harbor in Maryland (~2 hours north). A future Richmond casino application is possible, but no approved project exists as of 2026.
Virginia's Casino Borders — What's Nearby in Every Direction
Virginia shares casino-active borders with five states. Understanding the regional competitive landscape puts Virginia's internal market in context.
Maryland / DC (North)
MGM National Harbor (MGM Resorts) sits 16 miles south of Washington DC in Oxon Hill, Maryland — directly across the Potomac from Northern Virginia. It's the dominant casino for the DC-Northern Virginia market and consistently one of the top-grossing casinos on the East Coast. Maryland also operates Live! Casino & Hotel in Hanover (near Baltimore/BWI), Maryland Live! at Arundel Mills, and smaller facilities. DC itself operates a sports betting market. For Northern Virginia residents, Maryland's casino options are geographically close — Virginia's internal development is designed to compete for these same residents.
https://www.mgmnationalharbor.comWest Virginia (West)
West Virginia has a developed gaming market that was Virginia's primary cross-border destination before Virginia's casinos opened. Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races (Penn Entertainment) serves the Northern Virginia market from Charles Town WV — approximately 65 miles from Washington DC. The Greenbrier, the legendary historic resort in White Sulphur Springs WV, includes a casino within its luxury property. Mardi Gras Casino and Resort (Penn) operates in Cross Lanes near Charleston. For western Virginia residents, West Virginia options remain relevant.
North Carolina (South)
North Carolina's tribal gaming at the Cherokee Casinos — operated by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians — is significant. Harrah's Cherokee Casino Resort is one of the largest casinos in the Southeast, and Harrah's Cherokee Valley River in Murphy NC provides a western NC anchor. Both are operated under a compact with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (the same tribe that co-developed Hard Rock Bristol). For Virginia's Danville/Southside market, Cherokee is 130+ miles south on I-85. For southwest Virginia, Cherokee is 100+ miles via US-19 through the mountains.
https://www.caesars.com/harrahs-cherokeeTennessee (Southwest)
Tennessee legalized casino gaming for a Hard Rock franchise in partnership with the EBCI — Hard Rock Bristol on the Tennessee side operates alongside Hard Rock Bristol Virginia as part of the same multi-state development. Tennessee sports betting launched in November 2020 (mobile only). For Virginia players near the Tennessee border, the Bristol corridor is shared gaming infrastructure across the state line.
How Virginia Legalized Casino Gaming
The 2020 Legislation and Referendum Requirement
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed HB 4 and SB 36 into law on April 22, 2020 — the legislation authorizing casino gaming in five designated cities: Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond. The legislation included a unique requirement: each casino project must be approved by a voter referendum in the designated host city before development can proceed. This voter-approval requirement has shaped Virginia's casino rollout significantly. Bristol, Portsmouth, Danville, and Norfolk have all held referenda; Richmond voters rejected their proposal in November 2021, making Richmond the only designated city without an approved casino project. The Virginia Lottery was designated as the regulatory authority for casino gaming, establishing the Division of Casino Gaming to oversee licensing, compliance, and operations.
Virginia Lottery — The Regulatory Framework
The Virginia Lottery regulates both casino gaming and sports betting in Virginia under its expanded mandate following the 2020 gaming legislation. Casino gaming licenses, operator oversight, responsible gaming programs, and self-exclusion administration all fall under the Virginia Lottery's Division of Casino Gaming. Sports betting licensing and oversight fall under a separate Virginia Lottery division. The Virginia Racing Commission retains jurisdiction over horse racing and historical horse racing operations, meaning Rosie's Gaming Emporium locations are under a different regulatory framework than the casino resorts. Virginia's regulatory structure — relatively young compared to established gaming states — is designed to be adaptive, and the Lottery regularly publishes revenue reports, licensing decisions, and compliance information.
https://www.valottery.comPlay Responsibly in Virginia
The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and the Virginia Lottery both maintain problem gambling resources for Virginia residents and casino visitors. If gaming stops being fun, help is available — free and confidential.
Virginia Problem Gambling Resources:
Virginia Problem Gambling Helpline: 1-888-532-3500
free, confidential, 24/7
Problem Gambling Virginia: https://www.problemgamblingva.org
Virginia Lottery — Responsible Gambling & Self-Exclusion: https://www.valottery.com
Virginia's voluntary Self-Exclusion Program allows players to exclude themselves from all licensed Virginia casinos and sports betting platforms. Contact the Virginia Lottery at https://www.valottery.com for enrollment information.
Minimum gaming age: 21+ at all licensed Virginia casino resorts and for all sports wagering. Horse racing and Rosie's HHR locations are subject to horse racing age requirements — see individual facilities for details.