Richmond City Council voted Monday to add a casino referendum to the November ballot, setting up a do-over of the failed 2021 vote in a political landscape that significantly differs.
Next is for the Virginia Lottery to review and approve the gaming operator, which the city submitted for approval Tuesday. Then, the Richmond Circuit Court can put it on the ballot.
But campaigning appears to already be underway, and new messaging for the casino has emerged: it as a resort and not just a casino.
If those steps are completed, voters will have to weigh whether a major development in an economically depressed part of Richmond is worth the risk of increased gambling addiction and harm to vulnerable people.
