Caesars Virginia has announced a five-day delay in the opening of its highly anticipated casino resort in Danville, originally set for December 12. The casino company made this known about three days before launch day, much to the disappointment of eager patrons and locals who looked forward to the debut of the $750 million development property.
As things stand now, the new proposed launch date for the casino and resort is Tuesday, December 17. While the hotel wasn’t initially scheduled to open until spring 2025, Caesars has confirmed that the 320-room facility will open alongside the casino floors on the new mid-December date.
Despite the far-reaching impact of this news, Caesars Virginia and its parent company declined from giving a reason for the postponement.
“We know that there is tremendous excitement for our grand opening, and we appreciate everyone’s patience with this short delay. The team has been working around the clock to officially open the doors of Caesars Virginia, and we cannot wait to begin welcoming guests on Dec. 17,” Chris Albrecht, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Caesars Virginia told the media.
The Danville property is a $750 million casino resort developed jointly by Caesars Entertainment and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI). In addition to its 320-room hotel, the casino and resort features 1,400 slot machines, a sportsbook, 24 electronic tables, 85 live dealer games and a World Series of Poker Room.
Caesars Virginia in Danville is set to become the third permanent casino resort in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to the postponement, Caesars had revealed that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey will be live at the resort opening to serve popular meals from Ramsay’s Kitchen.
Speaking of celebrities, NBA legend Dennis Rodman will also be on hand on December 17 to place the ceremonial first bet in the $750 million facility. The five-time NBA champion will also MC the launch parade involving race cards from Kaizen Autosport, Foreign Cars Italia and Virginia International Raceway.
If plans and projections are anything to go by, the opening ceremony is going to be a grand, landmark event. Asides from the fun and eye-catching parades, guests will also hear Caesars Entertainment execs and tribal leaders of the EBCI deliver remarks on their partnership.
Another anticipated aspect of the casino resort launch is its potential economic benefits. The temporary Danville Casino which the new facility will replace generated north of $66 million in tax revenue to state authorities. With the operation set to take on a massive scale-up, there’s no doubt income and taxes will also significantly increase.
The postponement is not met with optimism in some quarters.
Many customers have wondered how the company will handle reservations made for the previous launch dates. While there hasn’t been a press release addressing the subject, the official Caesars Facebook page replying to a comment stated that it is “contacting guests who have reservations.”
Other customers have complained about the excessive room rates. Before the postponement was announced, standard rooms started at $999 pre-tax, and a two-day room with taxes and nightly fees cost about $2300.
Not much has changed for the better since news of the date pushback broke. A reservation for a basic room between December 17 to 20 still totalled over $2,700, inclusive of taxes and fees. However, at the time of this report, the online booking site for Caesars Virginia reveals that the property is sold out for the three days.
Although it is understandable that rates will drop post-launch, the regular prices will still stand between $299 and $599, which many consider a tad too expensive for a property in Danville.