Virginia: Richmond casino backers spent over $400 per vote in failed campaign

Saturday, November 11, 2023 12:17 PM
Photo:  Urban One (courtesy)/rendering of Richmond Grand Resort & Casino
  • Tannock Blair, WRIC-TV

Voters rejected the proposal to bring a $562 million casino to Richmond’s Southside for a second time, proving a costly venture for supporters of the campaign.

According to campaign finance reports from the Virginia State Board of Elections, the Richmond Wins, Vote Yes PAC contributed a total of $10,684,473.30 from Sept. 15, 2023, to Oct. 30, 2023.

The state’s election page shows that there were 24,765 votes in favor of the casino, resulting in 38.38% of the vote. This means that for every one of those votes, there was an estimated $431.43 spent in campaign contributions.

By comparison, the No Means No Casino PAC contributed a total of $399,968.09 from Sept. 14, 2023, to Oct. 30, 2023.