Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is a casino and hotel in Bristol, Virginia, that officially opened on November 14, 2024. Located at the former Bristol Mall, which operated from 1975 to 2017, the casino will utilize the existing facility and expand upon it with a hotel and outdoor amphitheater. On July 8, 2022, the temporary Bristol Casino had a soft open at the site.[1]
History
In 2020, the Virginia legislators passed a bill allowing the establishment of casinos, but limited to five eligible host cities of Portsmouth, Richmond, Norfolk, Danville, and Bristol. An additional condition was set that each city must hold a referendum on the question of whether to allow casino gaming in the city.[2] The legislation also establishes a commission tasked with distributing gaming tax revenues generated by one – Bristol – among the 12 counties and two cities within the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Bristol district.[3] In November 2020, Bristol voters approved the casino referendum, with 5,427 voting Yes (71%) to 2,221 voting No (29%).