The political battle between Petersburg and Richmond over which economically deprived city should get the next bite at Virginia’s fifth casino isn’t over – not yet, at least.
During the General Assembly session that ended Feb. 25, lawmakers rejected Petersburg’s bid to hold a referendum this fall and block Richmond from its second attempt. The stakes have been rising since voters in Richmond narrowly shot down Urban One and Peninsula Pacific Entertainment’s plan to build a $565 million casino resort on Richmond’s South Side in 2021. The defeat, by fewer than 2,000 votes, was an outlier: Four other cities (Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth) overwhelmingly approved similar measures in referendums the year before.
