The Caesars Virginia Resort and Casino has officially opened its doors in Danville. The opening ceremony started with a parade that started at the corner of Main St. and Craghead St. and ended at the entrance to Caesars Virginia.

Five-time NBA Champion Dennis Rodman served as the Master of Ceremonies for the parade and placed the ceremonial first bet at the Caesars Virginia Sportsbook. During the opening ceremony, Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones praised the impact Caesars has already had in the area.

“Since the groundbreaking in 2022, we’ve witnessed the creation of hundreds of jobs providing career paths and stable employment for residents not only in Danville, but in surrounding communities,” said Jones, “we’ve soon the ripple effect to businesses including vendors and restaurants that honor our River District heritage, but the impact doesn’t stop there. Since the temporary casino opened in May 2023, our city has received more than $20 million in gaming tax revenue.”

Now that the full venue is open, Caesars is expected to generate $35 million to $40 million annually for the city.

“Several people said to me last night, ‘I can’t believe this is standing here in Danville,’ and I think that when you get inside, hopefully you will feel overtime this is part of Danville”, said Caesars Virginia General Manager Chris Albrecht, “that we’re transforming the expectation of what Danville can provide when it comes to tourism in this market. We were bringing hundreds of thousands of people to that tent behind us and we’re going to kill it here.”

The hotel will be 12 stories with 320 rooms. The hotel will also feature 28 suites, floor to ceiling windows, a pool and a spa on the bottom floor. The resort will also feature a convention space and an entertainment venue.