In Virginia, the city council for the small community of Danville is reportedly set to vote on whether to pass a resolution in support of casino legislation currently making its way through the southern state’s General Assembly.

Local referendum prerequisite:

According to a Friday report from area television broadcaster, WSLS-TV, the measure being considered by legislators in Richmond would allow cities and towns in Virginia to build and operate a commercial casino so long as they have gained the support of the local population via a referendum.

Plan in the works:

Danville, which is located along Virginia’s southern border with North Carolina, has a population of just over 43,000 and is reportedly one of many area cities that is eager to host the state’s first commercial casino. It purportedly has plans to partner with The United Company in order to construct and build a large gambling venue additionally featuring a hotel and restaurants alongside convention and entertainment facilities.

Jobs creation:

Alonzo Jones (pictured), the mayor for the independent city, reportedly told WSLS-TV that constructing a casino in Danville would immediately create some 182 local jobs and benefit his community to the tune of around $118.7 million. He explained that such a project would moreover generate about 2,534 direct and indirect jobs by 2022 with this figure rising to approximately 6,834 six years later.

Jones to WSLS-TV…

“We are talking about an unprecedented number of jobs and significant new revenue in our city. We continue to gather information and confirm facts but it’s too large of a potential investment opportunity to dismiss out of the gate.”

Economic benefits:

Citing a study prepared by Chmura Economics and Analytics, WSLS-TV reported that a casino in Danville could lead to around $384.8 million in local economic benefits by 2022 while generating about $12.1 million annual taxes. It explained that this latter figure could hit $20.3 million by 2028 thanks to a yearly economic impact that may well surpass $1 billion.

Jones to WSLS-TV…

“Ultimately, the decision will be made by the General Assembly and then, by referendum, the citizens of this city. The resolution we will vote on next week simply advances the matter for further study and consideration by the various committees and sub-groups of the General Assembly.”