In November 2020, Bristol voters approved the casino referendum, with 5,427 voting Yes (71%) to 2,221 voting No (29%). The legislation also establishes a commission tasked with distributing gaming tax revenues generated by one – Bristol – among the 12 counties and two cities within the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Bristol district. An additional condition was set that each city must hold a referendum on the question of whether to allow casino gaming in the city. In 2020, the Virginia legislators passed a bill allowing the establishment of casinos, but limited to five eligible host cities of Portsmouth, Richmond, Norfolk, Danville, and Bristol. On July 8, 2022, the temporary Bristol Casino had a soft open at the site. Located at the former Bristol Mall, which operated from 1975–2017, the casino will utilize the existing facility and expand upon it with a hotel and outdoor amphitheater. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is a future casino and hotel in Bristol, Virginia, slated to be officially open in 2024.
