The choice of the Richmond Authorities to not maintain one other bidding process for the one on line casino improvement alternative within the capital metropolis could have authorized penalties. Lately, a outstanding lawyer and political activist within the state of Virginia revealed that he’s making ready authorized motion to problem that call.
Paul Goldman, who in 1990 grew to become the primary particular person of coloration to function Governor of Virginia, believes that the Mayor of Richmond – Levar Stoney – and the Metropolis Council each didn’t adjust to the Virginia Public Procurement Act, which requires state and native Governments to arrange and maintain aggressive bidding processes when searching for companions or distributors for a sure financial improvement challenge.
In 2021 Richmond authorities didn’t maintain the required bidding process for its on line casino license. As beforehand reported by CasinoGamesPro, Richmond was one of many 5 cities (together with Danville, Norfolk, Bristol, and Portsmouth) that certified to host a on line casino license below the provisions of state laws that enables these cities to think about establishing a on line casino as an extra supply of funds. Underneath the prevailing legislative framework, on line casino venues can solely be authorised after receiving the required native help of native voters as a part of a poll referendum on the matter.
Two years in the past, the residents of Richmond narrowly rejected the challenge for the greater than $500-million on line casino and resort referred to as One On line casino + Resort by a 51% to 49% vote. Since then Levar Stoney and most of Richmond Metropolis Council have since sought to as soon as once more ask native voters about their opinions on the challenge, hoping {that a} extra coherent message selling the potential financial advantages that the institution of such a on line casino resort would have for the area.
Richmond Officers Chosen City One as Their Most popular On line casino Resort Developer in 2021
In 2021, Richmond officers chosen the on line casino resort bid of the media conglomerate City One in partnership with on line casino operator Peninsula Pacific Leisure over the initiatives of their rivals, together with The Cordish Firms, Bally’s, and the Golden Nugget. In accordance with metropolis officers, the City One plan was most well-liked as a result of it represented the primary Black-owned industrial on line casino within the US.
As CasinoGamesPro reported, the efforts of the Richmond Metropolis Council to carry a second referendum on the proposed on line casino challenge in 2022 failed, just about as a result of the state provision authored by Senator Joe Morrissey was primarily centered on the state’s price range. After Morrissey was defeated throughout the Democratic major that passed off earlier in 2023, there have been no extra efforts searching for to stop Richmond authorities from turning to its voters and asking them for his or her opinion on the proposed on line casino enterprise for a second time.
A few months in the past, Richmond Metropolis Council voted 8 to 1 in favor of the on line casino referendum development as a part of the November 2023 poll. The referendum re-establishes the partnership between town and City One, though the corporate has modified its improvement companions.
In accordance with Paul Goldman, town was required to conduct one other aggressive bidding course of as a result of each the Virginia Procurement Act and the State Structure goal at stopping such “sweetheart” offers.
