DANVILLE, Va. — 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 as the Danville Casino prepares to open on Monday morning.
We had the opportunity to take an inside look at the highly anticipated casino before opening to the public.
"We have 740 slot machines, the latest and greatest newest slots. We have 25 live table games. We also have here 28 electronic table games, craps, roulette and blackjack, as well, for players. We have 8 sports betting kiosks to bet on everyone's favorite sports team," said Caesars Virginia General Manager Chris Albrecht.
The 40,000 square feet temporary casino will employ 400 team members from gaming to security and operations.
Once open, the casino will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
"The biggest comment I've heard is it looks a lot different on the inside than it does on the outside. We've been a lot of time and energy and effort to make sure this felt like a fantastic casino that you would be proud of if this is here for a long time," said Albrecht.
The temporary casino will remain open while the construction continues on the permanent location, next door.
Larry Goodwin lives in the Piedmont but stopped by to check on the casino's progress.
"I like going to the casinos, playing the WSOP(World Series of Poker) events and look forward to having it here in Danville. It's a little bit closer to where I live at," said Goodwin.
Albrecht is already expecting a big turn out for their grand opening at 10am, on May 15, 2023.
"Hopefully, we see a lot of lines, a lot of people lined up before 10 AM and looking forward to welcoming them into the building. I think right now it's been speculation, but we're really looking forward to seeing the demand that business will drive," said Albrecht.
Guests of the casino must be at least 21 years old.
Once complete, the permanent Caesars Virginia resort will feature a 20-story hotel, restaurants, spa and casino.
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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