The United Company, Par Ventures, and Hard Rock have selected
Nov. 14 for the grand opening of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol in
Virginia. The venue will host a grand opening ceremony featuring the signature
Hard Rock Guitar Smash and a concert by country music icon Blake Shelton at the
new Hard Rock Live entertainment venue to commemorate the historic milestone.
Bristol Casino, a temporary casino located at 500 Gate City
Highway in Bristol, VA, has been open since July 2022. The full permanent
casino will open its doors to the public on Nov. 14 at 12 p.m.
“We are thrilled to open Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Bristol,” said Jon Lucas, COO of Hard Rock International. “Hard Rock’s
rich history fits perfectly with Bristol’s distinction as the ‘Birthplace of
Country Music.’ Both the Hard Rock brand and the new hotel & casino are
rooted in great music. With this property, Bristol — and the entire region —
have a new major entertainment destination, filled with gaming, exciting food
& beverage offerings, live entertainment, and world class service for all
visitors. Hard Rock is proud to open this amazing facility to serve the
residents and visitors to the Tri-Cities area.”
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is a
620,000-square-foot resort destination that will feature nearly 1,500 slot
machines, over 50 table games, a sportsbook, a 303-room hotel, and multiple
dining options, including a signature Hard Rock Cafe, Council Oak Steaks &
Seafood, YOUYU Asian Dining, Constant Grind, and the Marketplace. The facility
also will house a Rock Shop, 2,000-plus seat Hard Rock Live, authentic music
memorabilia, and much more.
In a joint statement, Jim McGlothlin, chairman, of The
United Company, and Clyde Stacy, president, Par Ventures, shared their
perspectives on the opening of the permanent facility.
“The opening of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is such
a pivotal milestone for the city of Bristol and our entire Tri-Cities region
across Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee,” the statement read. “This
project has created new jobs and generated additional tax revenue, serving as
an economic engine and bringing hope to our community.”
Casino Tax Dollars
Three casinos are operating in Virginia: Bristol Casino, Rivers
Casino Portsmouth, and Danville Casino. Bristol Casino opened in July
2022, followed by Rivers Casino in January 2023, and Danville Casino in May
2023.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth bypassed a temporary casino and opened
Virginia’s first full permanent facility with a hotel “coming soon,” according to
their website. Danville Casino, a temporary location, will grow into a full Caesars
Virginia resort managed by Caesars Entertainment. The grand opening for Caesars
Virginia is planned around Dec. 2. An official date has not been announced.
During August, Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) from Virginia’s
three casinos totaled $63.1 million. Over $11 million was paid in taxes to the
state from August AGR, according to a monthly report from the Virginia Lottery.
The temporary Bristol Casino facility generated $15.9 million
in AGR in August, according to the lottery’s casino gaming activity report.
Since opening in July 2022, Bristol Casino has hit
impressive milestone numbers:
Welcomed over 3
million guests
Paid over
$66,000,000 in gaming taxes to the Commonwealth of Virginia
Donated more than
$960,000 to support local community non-profits
Paid out over
$260,000,000 in jackpots
Promoted over 600
team members
Processed over
55,000 employment applications
“I am so proud of everyone who has helped us prepare for the
grand opening,” said Allie Evangelista, President, of Hard Rock Hotel
& Casino Bristol. “Our incredible Hard Rock team has worked so hard to
reach this milestone moment, and we have been inspired by the amazing support
from the Bristol community. This new facility will offer the world-class
entertainment and dining that Hard Rock is recognized for across the globe. We
invite you to come check out the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, whether
to game, dine or relax.”
Casino Player Development
With the grand opening just months away, Hard Rock had their
casino host participate in a Casino Player Development Education program in September.
It’s the job of a casino host to maintain regular contact with loyal gamblers and
repeat customers of a location and provide complimentary services and incentives
to customers.
The player development education program held in September was
designed to “educate the casino hosts and VIP reps on how to do exactly what
the tile means: Initiate, Locate, Communicate, Prospect, Call, Evaluate, and Close
on the prospecting casino gamer.” That’s according to Nick Ippolito, a trainer,
speaker, and motivator in the casino industry. Ippolito provided the casino
host education program for Hard Rock in September. He has served over 100 native
and commercial-owned casinos since 1999.
Casinos award players complimentary services or items based
on their average daily theoretical loss (or ADT). Theoretical loss is the
amount of money a player is expected to lose depending on what game he/she is playing
(slot machines, roulette, blackjack, etc…).
During one of his recent education sessions, Ippolito’s material
stated “Comps are not rewards. They are incentives to play more.” Comps can be
free hotel rooms, casino play, gifts, or even a full cruise for high-level
players.
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