How is Tourism impacted across the State?
Virginia’s licensed casino properties attract visitors for gaming, entertainment, dining, and special events. As destination venues, they contribute to overall tourism activity, hotel stays, and related spending within their host communities.
Virginia’s three full-service casino resorts are reporting strong first-year results in visitation, revenue, and employment.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol has welcomed more than 2 million visitors since opening its permanent facility in late 2024. Caesars Virginia recorded approximately 1.6 million visits in its first several months of full resort operations and is on pace to surpass 2 million visits in its first year, with no violent crimes reported in connection to the property. Further, the City of Danville is the fastest growing tourism destination in the State with visitor spending across Danville and neighboring Pittsylvania county up 23.5% year over year with $275.2 million spent in 2024. Meanwhile, Rivers Casino Portsmouth has welcomed more than 4 million guests since opening in 2023.
Collectively, the three properties demonstrate measurable increases in visitation, local employment, and tax revenue in their host communities.The articles below highlight examples of tourism and visitation impacts associated with currently open casinos across the State.
Read more about experiences with Virginia's current operators
How would this impact Tourism in Winchester?
A convention and entertainment center with a regulated live gaming component would have a significantly positive impact on Tourism in the region. Winchester's prime location at the northernmost edge of the State and at the intersection of arterial roadways like Interstate 81 and Interstate 66 makes it a highly desirable location for a development of this nature.
Population 21 and over within two-hour drive time in 2022
| Category |
Population in market area |
| Winchester |
7,381,503 |
| Danville |
4,084,003 |
| Petersburg |
3,783,613 |
| Portsmouth |
2,495,158 |
| Norfolk |
2,484,299 |
| Bristol |
1,762,721 |
Visual Representation of Winchester Market Area
Using these population figures, the commissioned quantitative study expects a hypothetical Winchester casino would attract approximately 1.5 million out-of-area visitors to the City per year. Out-of-area visitors are estimated to spend $409.1 million per year locally, with $88.2 million outside of the casino. The average visitor spends 2-3 days in Winchester. This would constitute a significant industry for Winchester and will positively impact economic conditions in not only the City but regionally. Industries like casinos can positively impact the long-term financial health of the City by diversifying Winchester's tax revenues by bringing in new tax dollars from outside corporations and visitors.
Last updated 2/19/26