The Virginia Racing Commission has given Churchill Downs the go-ahead to open its controversial Roseshire Gaming Parlor in Henrico County, voting unanimously to approve an operating license despite consistent opposition from local leaders and residents. The decision clears the way for the facility to open its doors on September 29, 2025, at the Staples Mill Shopping Center.

The venue, branded as an upscale version of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, will feature 175 historic horse racing (HHR) machines, simulcast wagering, live entertainment, and a sit-down restaurant. Nearly 100 employees have already been hired to staff the property. Churchill Downs, which owns several other Rosie’s locations across Virginia, has described Roseshire as offering “exciting games, great entertainment, and top-tier food and beverage, including an innovative mocstail program.”

Community Backlash and Legal Disputes

The approval has sparked anger among Henrico County officials, who argue that Churchill Downs sidestepped proper public input by exploiting a decades-old referendum. The company secured its license by relying on a 1992 local vote that permitted off-track betting, a legal basis critics insist does not apply to machines that did not exist at the time.

“To say that we OKed machines in 1992 that weren’t even created in 1997 is, I think, an abuse of the law, quite frankly,” said State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, as reported by VPM. “I think we have seen a company — and now we’ve seen a racing commission — that have gone out of their way to avoid the people.”

Henrico Supervisor Dan Schmitt was equally blunt in criticizing the operator’s approach: “They are doing whatever it is they want, to run rampant, regardless of what the community wants. The folks that want to speak to them … are the folks that they are ignoring, and that’s the community that they wish to serve.”

County leaders highlighted how Churchill Downs submitted its permit application in June 2024, narrowly beating a zoning amendment that would have required more public hearings. That timing, paired with the reliance on a 33-year-old referendum, left many feeling excluded from the process.

Efforts to introduce new requirements for local referendums on gambling facilities have faltered at the state level. VanValkenburg had pushed through bipartisan legislation mandating public votes, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin removed the provision through budget amendments.

Youngkin defended his decision, noting the company had already secured its approvals and invested heavily in the project. “They received all the permits they needed to start building. They had invested $5 million in this new site, and then someone came and tried to change the rules on them,” the governor said. Churchill Downs has since disclosed that its total investment in the Henrico venue reached $35 million.

The situation has fueled broader criticism of the Racing Commission itself. Some officials accused the body of prioritizing revenue for the state’s horse racing industry over its regulatory responsibilities. A 2022 study had already questioned whether the commission had “adequate staffing, expertise or regulations” to oversee HHR machines effectively.

Churchill Downs’ Defense and Next Steps

Churchill Downs has presented Roseshire as a community-minded project, promising to hire locally and donate to regional charities. Jack Sours, the company’s vice president of gaming, told the commission that a “community-focused” approach would be central to its operations.

Nonetheless, Henrico leaders remain unconvinced. Schmitt dismissed the promises, arguing that actions spoke louder than words: “I only wish we had receptive ears on behalf of the commission and on behalf of the folks who proposed this project.”

County Manager John Vithoulkas suggested that legal challenges could still be ahead, remarking, “It ain’t over until it’s over. We’ll sit down, regroup and see what (the next moves) are going to be.”

The Roseshire venue, though smaller in scale than Richmond’s Rosie’s with its 1,200 machines, is expected to contribute to local tax revenue once operational. Churchill Downs maintains the Henrico site will not take business away from Richmond, citing research showing most Rosie’s customers travel from within a five-mile radius.