Virginia casino looks to attract visitors from North Carolina

2 OTHERS, JUVENILES BEHIND

BARS. BACK TO YOU. THANK YOU,

MARK. YOU'LL SOON BE ABLE TO

GET A TASTE OF LAS VEGAS AND

IT'S NOT FAR AWAY. CAESARS

VIRGINIA'S ABOUT TO OPEN IN

DANVILLE, VIRGINIA. THAT'S JUST

ACROSS THE STATE LINE. IT'S

ABOUT AN HOUR 10 HOUR AND 30

MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE TRIANGLE.

>> THAT'S WHERE THE VEGAS BASED

COMPANIES BUILDING THE

650 MILLION DOLLAR RESORT.

THE BUREAU'S MATT TALHELM SHOWS

US HOW THEY'RE HOPING TO HIT

THE JACKPOT WITH VISITORS FROM

THE TAR HEEL STATE.

>> AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO WE

WERE IN RALEIGH NOW SITTING

HERE AT A BLACKJACK TABLE LIKE

YOU'RE IN VEGAS, CAESARS,

VIRGINIA CASINO HERE HAS MORE

THAN 700 OF THESE SLOT MACHINES

AND THEY ARE BETTING BIG ON

VISITORS FROM NORTH CAROLINA.

JUST PAST THE VIRGINIA WELCOME

SIGHT. THE FIRST ARROWS POINT

TRAFFIC.

TO THE CASINO WERE RIGHT ON

STATE LAW. AND IT JUST MAKES

SENSE. LISA MAREE, WHETHER

MANAGES THE CITY OF DANVILLE'S

NEW TOURISM OFFICE AND

CHARLOTTE, GREENSBORO, RALEIGH,

ALL OF THOSE FOLKS HAVE SHOWN

A STRONG INTEREST TO DRAW IS

WHAT UNDER THIS BIG WHITE TENT,

THE DANCING LIGHTS AND

SCROLLING SCREENS OF THE

GAMBLING MACHINES FILLED THIS

FIRST HOME OF CAESARS,

VIRGINIA. THE END SIDE OF

DANVILLE CASINO IS AS LUXURIOUS

GUEST CAN PLAY TO WIN THE GRAND

JACKPOT AND GLORIOUS FORTUNES

ON 740 SLOT MACHINES OR TRY

THEIR HAND AT 25 LIVE TABLE

GAMES. THERE'S ALSO A SPORTS

BETTING KIOSKS. YOU PUT A LOT

OF DETAIL INTO MAKING THIS

EXPERIENCE A VERY STRONG, EVEN

THOUGH WE DO WANT A TEMPORARY

OPERATION. CAESARS WILL REPLACE

THE 10TH CASINO WITH THE RESORT

ON THIS SITE, COMPLETE WITH A

HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER AND

ENTERTAINMENT VENUE. IT

>> DECIDED IT WAS A GREAT

OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK FORWARD AND

AND GAME THIS OPERATION GOING

STARTING TO GENERATE SOME

REVENUE GETTING TEAM MEMBERS

TRAINED AT THE PLANS GO BACK TO

2020 WHEN VOTERS IN 4 VIRGINIA

CITIES APPROVED COMMERCIAL

CASINOS. ALL OF THEM ARE A

SHORT DRIVE ACROSS THE

TENNESSEE OR NORTH CAROLINA

BORDERS. ONE MARKET ANALYSIS

ESTIMATES NORTH CAROLINA WILL

LOSE OUT ON 259 MILLION DOLLARS

IN GAMING REVENUE TO THE

VIRGINIA CASINOS. EVERYTHING

RIGHT NOW HAS BEEN SPECULATION,

BUT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING

FORWARD TO SEEING THE DEMAND

THAT BUSINESS WILL DRIVE AND

THE CUSTOMERS AND WHETHER COME

FROM.

>> A STUDY DONE FOR THE CITY OF

DANVILLE ESTIMATE 30% OF

TRAFFIC HEADING TO THE CASINO

WILL MAKE THE TRIP UP FROM THE

TRIANGLE. WE'RE LOOKING AT

2 MILLION VISITORS ANNUALLY.

SOMETHING TELLS ME THAT

NUMBER'S GOING TO DRIVE UP.

THEY'RE GOING ALL IN FOR A HUGE

WINS FROM CASINO TOURISM.

WE'VE NEVER HAD A PRODUCT LIKE

THIS IN THIS PART OF THE STATE.

SO IT'S A GAME CHANGER FOR US.

THE FUTURE HOME OF CAESARS HERE

IN THIS TEMPORARY TENT CASINO

OPENS ON MONDAY. THE BIGGER

RESORT, THE FULL CASINO HERE IS

EXPECTED TO OPEN IN 2024.

>> MATT TALHELM, WRAL NEWS,

DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

>> THAT'S A NORTH CAROLINA

LAWMAKERS HAVE FLOATED THE IDEA

OF EXPANDING CASINOS HERE IN

THE STATE RIGHT NOW. THEY'RE