Hard Rock International is one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, and the group has just got the green light for a new land-based casino in Bristol, Virginia.
During the Board of the Virginia Lottery’s quarterly meeting, the group’s plans were approved as it was the only applicant for the new casino project.
Just a Public Vote to Go
Following the Board of the Virginia Lottery’s decision to approve the plans, there is only one more vote needed to allow Hard Rock Bristol to break ground and commence construction.
This vote is expected to take place in November and everyone is expecting it to pass with flying colors.
The plans will result in the group taking control of an abandoned Bristol mall, turning it into a full hotel and casino with fine dining restaurants, a convention center, a concert hall, pools, a spa and much more.
This project will bring thousands of jobs to the city of Bristol, hence why so many people are expecting the November vote to be in favor of Hard Rock Bristol.
Across Virginia, four other cities have had plans for land-based casinos approved with the likes of Richmond, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth all getting the green light.
Opening After COVID Calms Down
It’s going to be some time before the Hard Rock Bristol casino is completed and opened, giving COVID-19 plenty of time to calm down and go away.
This means that it might not have to adhere to any special regulations in the form of COVID countermeasures like we’ve seen at other casinos.
Las Vegas was totally shut down due to the virus, and casinos there have only just been allowed to open.
However, in order to reopen, casinos have to follow a tight set of rules, including limiting the number of players inside.
Ranging from operating at half capacity, no pool parties, no blackjack, two players per bank of slots and frequent sanitization of tables, casinos in Las Vegas have to adhere to strict rules.
It’s still not clear when COVID-19 will vanish from the planet, but it’s safe to say it’s not going to be any time this year.
This could play into the hands of Hard Rock Bristol, but if it’s going to be sensible, it will plan for these restrictions to still be in place for the considerable future.
This could see the Hard Rock Bristol design is floor layouts with social distancing in mind, allowing it to create one of the best COVID-19 land0based casinos in the world.
Time Will Tell
For now, the group must sit finalizing its drawing board plans as it awaits the public vote in November.
However, it’s fairly certain that the Bristol casino will be given the green light. But that doesn’t mean Hard Rock should count its chickens before they hatch – stranger things have happened.
Either way, the Bristol community could use the jobs this casino will create to revitalize the local economy following the scalping COVID-19 dished out.
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