A proposed casino by the Pamunkey Indian tribe in Richmond will be competing directly with the Gaming Emporium by Rosie situated in the new Richmond area. The operators of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium are also working on acquiring the casino status.
The casino status gives gaming venues the authority to offer Class III games such as regular slot machines, card and table games, including poker and roulette, in addition to sports betting.
The joint venture of Colonial Downs Group and Peninsula Pacific Entertainment promotes four Rosie’s gaming spaces in Hampton, New Kent, Richmond, and Vinton. The USP of these gaming arcades is electronic slot machine-style historical horse racing games.
During the upcoming session, there is speculation that the Virginia General Assembly will be debating on numerous casino and gaming bills, including the bills to permit a single casino to establish a business in each of the five cities—Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond.
Colonial Downs Group Chief Operating Officer Aaron Gomes thinks that his organization deserves consideration as they have “developed over a dozen major gaming facilities across the United States” and want to be a part of the expansion plans of the gaming industry.
Gomes said,
We have proven our capabilities and commitment in Virginia over the past year by opening four extremely successful gaming operations. Giving consideration for partners with proven track records will be an important component as Virginia moves forward in developing gaming legislation over the coming weeks.
The Colonial Downs Group has put in more than $40 million in the Richmond Rosie’s, which is a 140,000 square-foot location that formerly belonged to Kmart. The site is around 10 miles away from the Ingram Avenue site that the Pamunkey has recently taken over.
