Hard Rock Bristol Opens $515M Resort in Virginia, State’s Second Permanent Casino
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol debuted on Thursday, November 14, with the company performing its ceremonial guitar smashing to officially greet the resort’s initial visitors.
Bristol, located on the Virginia side of the Virginia-Tennessee border, was allocated a commercial casino license as a result of state legislation enacted in 2020. The effort to introduce Las Vegas-style casinos to the commonwealth and lift Virginia’s prohibition on slot machines and table games was spearheaded by notable Bristol entrepreneurs Jim McGlothlin of United Co. and Clyde Stacy of Par Ventures.
After state legislators permitted five cities to explore casino projects to boost economic growth, McGlothlin and Stacy collaborated with Hard Rock International. In November 2020, local voters in Bristol approved the gaming project with more than 71% backing, the highest percentage among the four cities that held successful casino votes that election.
Four years later, Hard Rock's vision of over half a billion dollars has become reality.
"It was a moonshot,” McGlothlin said of overturning Virginia’s ban on casino gambling.
Now that the $515 million resort is complete, employing more than 1,000 people, generating tens of millions in local tax revenue from the temporary casino, and boasting a 45-foot-tall guitar outside the 620K-square-foot venue, McGlothlin is confident there’s no remorse from buyers.
“I bet if we did the referendum today, we’d get 90% support,” McGlothlin, dubbed a “Bristol Living Legend” this summer by Virginia Business, told the crowd during today’s ceremony.
Blake Shelton Featured
Like all Hard Rock casino and resort locations, the central theme revolves around music, music, and more music. The rock ‘n’ roll-inspired integrated resort intends to feature live music nearly every night and prominent headliners during the week.
Country music icon Blake Shelton will perform as the main act tonight with a sold-out show at the resort's 2,000-capacity Hard Rock Live venue.
Shelton is a fitting choice for the inaugural night of Hard Rock Bristol, since the town is recognized as the origin of country music. That recognition comes from Fiddlin’ John Carson's recording of his version of “Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane” in the Virginia town in 1923.
Hard Rock Bristol features a gaming floor that includes 1,500 slot machines, 50 live dealer table games, and a Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. The hotel features 303 rooms and offers various dining options, such as a Hard Rock Café, the signature steak and seafood place Council Oak, and a food court “marketplace” that serves items ranging from fried chicken and soul food to a noodle bar.
Music collectibles feature items from Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Dylan, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash.
Virginia Emerging as a Significant Gaming Market
Previously one of the most limiting gaming states, Virginia's commercial gaming sector keeps on growing. Hard Rock Bristol is the second permanent casino to launch following Rivers Casino Portsmouth, a non-hotel venue, in January 2023.
Caesars Entertainment intends to launch a $750 million casino resort in Danville next month. A fourth casino is in progress in Norfolk, and last week, Petersburg voters approved a casino resort from The Cordish Companies, known for managing Live!-branded establishments.
Churchill Downs has also lately launched its gaming resort in Dumfries named The Rose. That establishment provides historical racing machines similar to slot machines.
