Hundreds wait in line for grand opening of Caesars temporary casino

DANVILLE, Va. (WDBJ) - The Caesars temporary casino in Danville is now officially open to the public.

Caesars held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday to celebrate the grand opening.

The Mayor said people began waiting in line at 5 a.m. - with some driving hours for the experience.

“Was I expecting it? No. I was not,” said Alonzo Jones, Mayor of Danville. “But, I’ve met a lot of people here from North Carolina. I’ve met persons from South Carolina, and that’s what Danville wants to become. We want to become a destination, and we’ve been speaking about that and look at us today.”

The 40,000-square-foot temporary casino includes more than 700 slot machines and around 50 electronic and live table games.

Those attractions drew in folks from neighboring cities like Martinsville -

“I’m very excited,” said Clarence Eggleston, Martinsville resident. “I’m looking forward to the slot machines mostly. It’s great for the people of Martinsville, and it’s great to be down here.”

- to South Boston.

“Before I go to work, I figured come in here and get me a couple of dollars in the Danville casino,” said Timmy Petty, South Boston resident. “It’s 30 minutes from the house. I am not losing, always winning. This is easy money. I like that.”

The Mayor says moving the police department headquarters right beside the casino and their partnership with the Caesars security team will help ensure safety at the casino.

“We’ve got a brand new police station right next door. Our security team is right here at Caesars is working hand in hand with our police department. Those partnerships are imperative. So. I’m expecting great things,” added Mayor Jones.

The temporary casino is open 24 hours, 7 days a week. They say the permanent casino is still set to open late 2024.

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