Virginia-based Colonial Downs Group is gearing up for another year of Virginia gambling growth with two major groundbreaking events in the first quarter of 2022.
Local and civic leaders in Dumfries and Emporia, Virginia, will join Colonial Downs Group team members to launch “game-changing economic development projects that will spark construction spending, significantly increase tax revenues, and create over 700 well-paying permanent jobs,” the company said in a news release this month.
Dumfries Project To Include Hotel, Amenities
Colonial Downs Group will invest more than $429 million developing a new gaming and entertainment destination in Dumfries called “The Rose Gaming Resort.”
Located on a former industrial landfill, The Rose Gaming Resort, when fully built, will include up to a 350-room hotel, eight bars and restaurants, a cultural venue, a space for meetings and events, and over 80 acres of green space with miles of bike and fitness trails, athletic fields, and a playground.
The Rose Gaming Resort will generate an estimated $59 million in annual tax revenues and have more than 600 team members, the company said. The groundbreaking event for The Rose Gaming Resort is scheduled for Jan. 11.
Dumfries isn't new to gambling. Colonial Downs opened a small Rosie's Gaming Emporium in the town in January that operates 150 Historical Horse Racing machines (HHR) and takes Off-Track Betting wagers on horse races throughout the U.S.
The average casino slot machine determines a win by a computer and random number generator. HHR machines resemble casino slot machines but determine a win by randomly selecting a horse race from a massive database of historical records. The new Rose Gaming Resort, scheduled to open in January 2023, will host 1,800 HHR machines.
Rosie’s Gaming Emporium Project in Emporia
In Emporia, Colonial Downs will invest more than $20 million developing a Rosie’s Gaming Emporium following a successful voter referendum in November. The Emporia Rosie’s will have 150 HHR gaming machines with the latest technology and state-of-the-art graphics.
”When fully built, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium will generate an estimated $600,000 in annual tax revenue for the City of Emporia and have more than 100 team members,” the company said.
Colonial Downs has gambling operations in New Kent, Richmond, Hampton, Vinton, Dumfries and Collinsville, plus a horse track in New Kent.
Aaron Gomes, chief operating officer of Colonial Downs Group, said: “We came to Virginia four years ago promising to help spawn a revitalization of the state’s horse industry, deliver a new form of fun entertainment, provide a consistent source of tax revenues for the commonwealth and localities where we operate, grow the state’s workforce, and build up communities through charitable investments of time and money. We have delivered on all of those promises and are proud to be part of the fabric of Virginia.”
In March, officials in Christiansburg mentioned that Rosie’s Gaming Emporium was exploring the possibility of opening a facility in their town. The potential plans came up during a town meeting in March, according to an article in the Roanoke Times. As with the Emporia location, a voter referendum would be required for a Rosie’s site in Christiansburg.
