Guests can already bet in Bristol and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol is nearing its completion date near the Tennessee border. The old Bristol Mall houses Bristol Casino — Temporary Home of Hard Rock. Meanwhile construction crews make progress on the full project. Hard Rock accepted the first-ever in-person bets in Virginia casino history.

Credit a Nov. 3, 2020, successful casino referendum for the milestone. Developers held a grand opening ceremony for Hard Rock’s temporary casino on July 8, 2022. They hope to hold a ceremonial guitar smash to open the permanent casino in the spring of 2024.

Bristol Casino — Future Home of Hard Rock is housed in the former Belk department store space at the Bristol Mall. In fact, the venue has earned $95.4 million since its debut.

And, a Dec. 7, 2022, groundbreaking got the permanent casino off to a ceremonial start.

Among the four Virginia cities with a casino referendum in 2020, Bristol had the most lopsided voting results with 69% for the casino and just 31% against it.

In late 2019, Bristol officials selected Hard Rock International as its preferred casino partner. Hard Rock, a global entertainment and hospitality company, is the perfect partner to help celebrate the area’s rich country music history while also revitalizing the local economy.

Hard Rock Casino Resort Bristol

The temporary “Bristol Casino – Future Home of Hard Rock” went into a third of the Bristol Mall. It features:

• 30,000 of space
• 870 slots
• 21 gaming tables
• sit-down dining
• a sports bar and lounge
• grab-and-go brick oven pizza
• and a sportsbook.

The entire mall will eventually become the permanent Hard Rock Casino Resort Bristol.

The estimated $500 million project will turn the former Bristol Mall into a world-class casino resort destination. Moreover, it puts the casino within walking distance of the Tennessee state line. The neighboring state has no casinos of its own.

The entire mall will eventually become the permanent Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol.

Hard Rock Bristol will feature:

• 350-room hotel that will eventually expand to 700 rooms
• 100,000-square-foot casino and sportsbook
• 50,000-square-foot conference and meeting center
• Live-music venue
• Amphitheater
• Restaurants, bars and retail shops
• Spa and pool

Tentative Bristol Mall remodeling plans include:

• The casino will be located in the former Sears retail space.
• The hotel will be constructed where the rear parking lot currently sits.
• The conference center will be where J.C. Penney was formerly located.
• The indoor entertainment venue will be where Piccadilly Cafeteria formerly operated within the mall.
• The outdoor amphitheater, which could accommodate up to 20,000 attendees, will be built on currently undeveloped land near the west side of the property.

The economic impact of Hard Rock Bristol

The biggest benefits a new casino brings to the City of Bristol are tax revenue and jobs.

The Bristol casino project estimates it will create more than 1,200 new jobs during its first year. Within seven years, the number of jobs will increase to 5,200. Those jobs come with an annual average salary of $46,500, well above the reported $37,844 average currently for the area.

The economic impact of more than 4 million visitors to Bristol and Southwest Virginia is said to exceed $1 billion each year.

The casino projects $150 million in revenues during its first year and $450 million per year by Year 5. Other revenues, such as food, beverage, and retail, are estimated to be around $106 million in the first year and eventually settling around $289 million per year.

Hard Rock Bristol will contribute $26.8 million to the city of Bristol after Year 5. To put that figure in perspective, the current operating budget for the City of Bristol is $56.8 million.

Hard Rock Casino Resorts Bristol as a destination

Bristol is known as the Twin City because it lies on the state line between Tennessee and Virginia, a distinction that will serve as an advantage for the new casino resort.

A casino in the southern part of Virginia is destined to become a regional destination for visitors from several states, including:

• Tennessee
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Georgia
• Kentucky

Hard Rock Bristol Hotel and Casino team estimates 80% of its guests will come from out of state. The influx of new tourism dollars and keeping local casino customers gambling near home will greatly benefit Bristol and the state.

Celebrating Bristol’s music heritage

Hard Rock, with its entertainment heritage, is the perfect partner for the Twin City. In 1998, Congress declared Bristol as the birthplace of country music.

Hard Rock is a company that thrives on infusing music into everything it touches. It brings personalized musical experiences to its properties with its rhythm spas and motions, DJ therapy, yoga, live performances in lobbies, bars, cafes, concerts, and dance performances.

In a statement following the partnership announcement, Hard Rock gave a nod to the importance of music to the area.

“The Hard Rock Casino Bristol will honor the region’s heritage as the birthplace of country music. As an entertainment destination, we plan to offer restaurants and shops new to the region, large indoor and outdoor music venues and a convention center.”