Bristol Casino posts average revenue month in April

BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) — The Bristol Casino posted an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $13.9 million in April, a month after a record-shattering March AGI of $16.3 million, according to a report released Wednesday by the Virginia Lottery.

The total was slightly above the average monthly income of $13.6 million since the casino opened at its temporary location in July 2022.

The future home of Hard Rock Casino had another strong month for the more expensive table games, as those brought in just over $2.9 million — the third-highest monthly total to date. Slot machines had an AGI of $11,031,848, which is $2 million less than March’s record total and slightly below the casino’s monthly average.

The total AGI was barely off from the same month in 2023 when the casino brought in $14.0 million. Through the first four months of 2024, the casino’s AGI of $55.6 million is 1% above the $55.0 million in the same period of 2023.

Hard Rock told News Channel 11 in February it was on track to open its newly built Bristol casino by July of this year, with a 300-room hotel due to open on-site by the end of this year.

April’s revenue resulted in an $836,679 payout to the “Regional Improvement Commission” (RIC), representing more than a dozen Southwest Virginia local governments. The casino is taxed at 18% and one-third of that amount goes to the RIC. Legislation that enabled the casino to open and operate requires local governments that are part of the RIC to use those funds to improve transportation, education and public safety.

The RIC governments include the counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Buchanan, Russell, Washington, Smyth, Tazewell, Grayson, Bland and Wythe, along with the cities of Bristol and Norton. The funds are split evenly among the 14 local governments rather than on a population-adjusted basis.

To date, those funds now total more than $17.5 million.

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