Hard Rock International debuted its $515 million Hotel & Casino Bristol on November 14, marking Virginia's second permanent casino opening. The resort celebrated with the brand's signature guitar-smashing ceremony to welcome its first guests.

The 620,000-square-foot facility sits on the Virginia-Tennessee border, made possible by Virginia's 2020 legislation allowing casino development in select cities. Local businessmen Jim McGlothlin and Clyde Stacy partnered with Hard Rock after Bristol voters approved the casino with 71% support.

The resort features:

• 1,500 slot machines
• 50 live dealer table games
• Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook
• 303-room hotel
• 2,000-seat Hard Rock Live venue
• Multiple dining options including Hard Rock Café and Council Oak
• Extensive music memorabilia collection

Country music star Blake Shelton headlined the opening night with a sold-out concert, fitting for Bristol's status as the birthplace of country music.

The casino joins Rivers Casino Portsmouth as Virginia's second permanent casino, with more on the horizon:

• Caesars Entertainment's $750 million Danville resort opening next month
• Norfolk casino development in progress
• Petersburg's recently approved Cordish Companies casino
• Churchill Downs' The Rose gaming resort in Dumfries

McGlothlin, recently named a "Bristol Living Legend," believes local support for the project has grown even stronger, suggesting approval would reach 90% if voted on today. The resort currently employs over 1,000 people and has already generated significant local tax revenue from its temporary casino operations.

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