DANVILLE, Va. — The anticipation and years long wait is finally over, Caesars Virginia has officially opened its doors to its temporary casino.
On Monday morning, hundreds were in line long before the official ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"We talk about Danville being a destinations city. I’ve talked to persons from North Carolina, South Carolina, they are here!" said Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones.
Throughout the day, the lines came and went.
By noon, Monday, those trying to go inside were either turned away or had to wait in long lines.
Several folks said security was not letting anyone else in, at the time, because they had reached their 3,000-person capacity.
Although frustrated, Richard Thomson said he will still be back once the new wears off.
"It looks like everybody in town decided to come at the same time. This is lookers today, everybody wants to see it because it’s new," said Thomson.
For those they did get inside, they said the wait was worth it.
Many say they left with a little extra jingle in their pocket.
"We grabbed us a machine and started winning like crazy! I’m not gonna tell you what we want, but we did really good and we are so excited!" said Rose Johnson from Greensboro.
The casino will operate 24/7 and offer more than 700 slot machines, 25 live gaming tables and sports betting kiosks.
The temporary location is located on the corner of Bishop and Main in Danville and also next door to the permanent location that will officially open in 2024.
This corner of Bishop and Main in Danville was home to Dan River Mill for decades.
Generations of families worked in the textile industry throughout the city. Now the property has been completely transformed into the Danville Casino.
Construction continues on the permanent resort which, Caesars says, is still on track to open late 2024.
The games inside the temporary casino are all brand new and will eventually be moved into the permanent resort, once construction is complete.
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