$400M Bristol casino to break ground Dec. 7

Expected to open July 2024

Published December 1, 2022 by Courtney Mabeus-Brown

Virginia’s first casino, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, is getting closer to moving into its permanent home.

Officials will break ground at the casino’s permanent home at the former Bristol Mall, at 500 Gate City Highway in Bristol on Dec. 7, the casino announced Thursday.

The $400 million permanent casino, set to open in July 2024, will replace a 30,000-square-foot temporary venue that opened in the former Belk store at the Bristol Mall in July.

The permanent casino will include a 3,200-seat performance venue and a 20,000-person capacity outdoor entertainment venue. The casino will be open 24/7 and is expected to generate about 1,200 to 1,500 jobs.

The Hard Rock casino’s local co-developers, Jim McGlothlin, chairman of The United Co., and Par Ventures LLC President Clyde Stacy, were instrumental in changing state gambling laws to allow casinos in economically challenged Virginia cities. McGlothlin is the 2022 Virginia Business Person of the Year.

The casino is one of four currently planned in the state. Rivers Casino Portsmouth announced last month that it will open to the public Jan. 15. Proposed casinos are also underway in Danville and Norfolk.

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