DANVILLE, Virginia (WNCN) A large crowd, including many North Carolina residents, gathered Tuesday for the grand opening of the Caesars Virginia casino in Danville.
A large audience watched a march through Danville’s streets on its way to the casino, eager to get a first peek inside the highly awaited facility.
“I believe it’s another tourism attraction on a larger scale than we’ve ever seen here in the community,” Caesars Virginia General Manager Chris Albrecht said. “I think everyone’s going to be proud of what we put together here.”
A large line of people waited to see local dignitaries cut the ribbon at a ceremony before flooding through the doors.Cassandra Freeman, who traveled from Raleigh, was one of them.
“We don’t have anything near the Raleigh-Durham area,” Freeman added. “I just decided to take the ride to get out of the house [for] my birthday and celebrate Christmas.”
“Raleigh-Durham area needs to have a casino, so people can get out and have fun and make money,” she told the newspaper.
The $750 million casino features nearly 1,500 slot machines, 79 table games, sports betting, multiple restaurants, and a 320-room luxury hotel.It is around an hour and a half distant from Raleigh and slightly more than an hour from Durham.
Gregory Smith, who drove from Charlotte, stated, “North Carolina needs casinos.” I believe there is a lot of untapped money that may bring significant prosperity to the areas and adjacent populations.”
NBA legend Dennis Rodman was also present, putting the first sports bet.
The casino expects to expand its entertainment options in early 2025, and many North Carolina residents are likely to attend.