In a former mall, Virginia opens 1st casino
BRISTOL, Va. (WISH) — Lines were out the door Friday at a former shopping mall as Virginia’s first casino opened.
The 300,000-square-foot Bristol Casino — with slots, gaming tables and sportsbook gambling — is a temporary facility by Hard Rock International. The site also has restaurants, and a bar with live entertainment. Bristol, which sits near the Tennessee border off Interstate 81, is known as the “Birthplace of Country Music.”
The permanent facility is expected to open within 24 months, according to Hard Rock.
Voters approved the casino in a 2020 ballot referendum. The $400 million casino was built at the former Bristol Mall.
Bristol is about a 7-hour drive east of downtown Indianapolis, according to Google Maps.