Zach Cooley poses with world-renowned psychic comedian Peter Antoniou (right) after a sold out August 9 show at Wytheville's Millwald Theatre.
Zach Cooley poses with world-renowned psychic comedian Peter Antoniou (right) after a sold out August 9 show at Wytheville's Millwald Theatre.
Combined adjusted gaming revenues for Bristol Hard Rock totaled $22.98 million in July 2026, according to the Virginia Lottery.
BRISTOL, Va. – Virginia casinos reported more than $102.4 million in combined adjusted gaming revenues during July with the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol reporting nearly $23 million.
A new report from the Virginia Lottery shows the local casino finished July with $22.98 million in adjusted gaming revenues – wagers minus winnings – for the third highest monthly total this year and the fourth highest since it began operating in November 2024, historic lottery records show.
That includes over $19 million from its 1,328 slot machines and $3.91 million from its 73 table games, the report shows.
Hard Rock Bristol has averaged $22 million AGR per month during the first seven months of 2026. That is a 4% increase over the $21.14 million average during the same period of 2025.
All that play generated $4.13 million gaming taxes for the state, with $1.37 million returning to the Regional Improvement Commission to be evenly divided among the host city and 13 Southwest Virginia localities.
Deputy County Administrator Matt Hankins on Aug. 11 told Supervisors that the Regional Improvement Commission would beet Aug. 20 in Abingdon.
At the meeting, members will discuss the annual allocation of casino funds.
Hankins noted that this year’s allocation is expected to be $1.85 million for each locality.
Elsewhere in the state, Caesars Virginia remained the state’s busiest casino with more than $36.10 million in total AGR for July, including $27.06 million from 1,544 slots and $9.03 million from its 88 table games.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth reported a single-month record of $28.68 million in adjusted gaming revenue, including $20.61 million from 1,416 slots and $8.07 million from its 90 table games.
Live! Virginia’s temporary facility reported $13.81 million in AGR, based on $10.2 million in play from 926 slot machines and $3.61 million from 32 table games.
The Interim Gaming Hall Norfolk reported nearly $885,000 in AGR with its 132 slot machines.
All of that play combined to generate more than $20.25 million in tax revenues.
Caesars Virginia generated $8.3 million in taxes during July with $2.52 million coming back to the host city of Danville.
Rivers Casino generated $5.16 million with $1.72 million returning to host city Portsmouth.
Live! Virginia generated $2.48 million in taxes, meaning over $829,000 comes back to Petersburg and the interim facility generated nearly $159,300 with $53,000 returning to Norfolk and over $8,800 to the Indigenous People’s Trust Fund.
Nearly $20,000 will go the state’s problem gambling treatment and support fund.
Pulaski's newest mural project is the second completed installation in ‘Round the Mountain’s Community Mural Initiative, which uses public art to strengthen downtowns, celebrate local identity, and create lasting community assets across the region.
Pulaski's newest mural project is the second completed installation in ‘Round the Mountain’s Community Mural Initiative, which uses public art to strengthen downtowns, celebrate local identity, and create lasting community assets across the region.
After a closed session on Aug. 11, Supervisors agreed to authorize County Administrator Stephen Bear to execute an agreement in Progress Park.
A motion from Vice Chair Dicky Morgan cleared the way for a land lease deal with Archipelago DCCO, LLC, with an option to purchase lots 30 and 32 in the park.
A roll call vote passed four to two, with Stacy Terry absent. Sarah Crockett and Jesse Burnett voted no.
No information was released on what Archipelago DCCO, LLC, is; however, in the previous Supervisors meeting, civil engineers with Stantec and FluidStack, the company that bought the planned data center from Solis Arx, provided the county with an overview of different teams involved in the data center project at the park.
John Penshorn, project manager for Stantec, listed as an Archipelago Compute LLC as the doing business name for FluidStack. Stantec, Penshorn noted, provides site and power engineering services for the project.
Earlier in the meeting, Andy Kegley, during citizens time, pressed county leaders on the transfer of land during a June that appears to be linked to the vote on Aug. 11. At that meeting, the board OK’d a letter of intent for a potential lease with an option to purchase a property in the park. That vote passed four to one, with Rolland Cook and Jesse Burnett absent. Crockett was the lone nay vote.
Kegley pleaded with the county during the Aug. 11 citizens time to tell residents if the June 30 vote was connected to the data center, Blue Star or something to do with VDOT’s road work.
“Every meeting that passes without any disclosure of what you’re doing with the public’s assets via secret transactions does nothing to restore our trust and further undermines your credibility,” he said.
Others during citizens time continued to press the county to pass a zoning ordinance quickly, pointing to surveys groups had conducted showing strong favorability among county residents.
The county is holding a Thursday, Sept. 3, community meeting at 6 p.m. in the Scott Memorial Middle School gym to discuss a revised proposal on zoning.
The draft zoning ordinance is available at Land-Use-Classification-Ordinance---Draft-401---August-2026.
The revised draft reflects feedback received from the public and recommendations for the Supervisors and county’s planning commission.
Additional properties have been classified as Agricultural to better reflect existing land uses and create more consistent zoning patterns.
Map revisions reduce instances of split zoning and, where practical, better align zoning boundaries with adjoining properties.
The Transportation Corridor Overlay has been refined to provide greater clarity regarding its application, reducing its scope to manage development around interstate interchanges and where I-81 and I-77 run together.
Zoning fees have been removed from the ordinance. If adopted, fees would instead be established through the county's annual Fee Schedule approved by the Board of Supervisors.
Additional revisions are expected before the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors hold future public hearings and consider final action.
Wytheville Town Attorney Paul Cassell on Aug. 10 updated council members on new laws that could impact the town moving forward.
Cassell explained that in 2027 new cannabis laws will allow a certain number of marijuana licenses across the state. The legislation also allows localities to impose a local sales tax on cannabis products between 1 percent and 3.5 percent.
Another change coming, Cassell predicted, is in an already-meeting task force that is developing regulations impacting public swimming pools and potentially splash pads. He said any regulations would potentially impact the town’s outdoor and indoor pools.
Beginning July 1, rules changed on Freedom of Information Act requirements, he said. The change prohibits bodies from taking any final actions on most agenda items that are added after a meeting has started.
Late-added items that are allowed include committee referrals, future meeting schedules, ceremonial proclamations and directing staff to provide further information.
