It could not be closer in the voting to whether Richmond will see a new casino built, with polling ahead of voting on November 7th indicating a split.
After more than 900 likely voters were polled in Richmond, 43% of the participants said they would vote "definitely not", while 39% said they would vote "definitely yes". There is a last-minute, frantic race to convince the remaining 18% to vote one way or another before people head to the polls on November 7th.
The project, estimated to cost more than $550 million to build, could raise more than $30 million in tax revenue for the city, according to the casino developers Urban One and Churchill Downs. At the same time, more than 1,300 union jobs will be established in the region, with an average compensation of $55,000.
Some officials in favour of the project are pointing to those sizable low-hanging fruits. They argue the funds will be pumped back into childcare, education, and other state-funded initiatives.
Opponents, however, point to potential addiction issues arising in the local community and not enough responsible play measures in place.
