The Virginia Racing Commission voted unanimously on Monday to approve a request by Kentucky-based gaming operator Churchill Downs to open its planned Henrico County horse-betting venue by the end of September.
Churchill Downs, which also owns Rosie’s Gaming Emporium locations across Virginia, recently received a state license required to operate the Roseshire Gaming Parlor — despite longstanding objections to the project and the company’s lack of transparency by community members and state and local lawmakers.
State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg (D–Henrico) and Brookland Supervisor Dan Schmitt — whose district includes the Roseshire site at Glenside Drive and Staples Mill Road — spoke to reporters after the commission’s ruling to outline the county’s next steps in opposing the development.
