Henrico County has taken the Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) to court, arguing that the agency overstepped when it approved a license for the new Roseshire Gaming Parlor. 

The petition, filed on November 12, called the VRC’s decision “unlawful” and claimed the commission “exceeded its authority” when it gave the facility the green light.

At the end of March, Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed a provision in the state budget that would have triggered a public referendum before allowing a new Rosie’s Gaming Emporium to open in the county.

Unanimous Vote 

Back in September, the VRC gave Roseshire an unanimous vote, despite strong pushback from county officials and many residents who spoke out during the review process. Roseshire opened on September 29 in the Staples Mill Shopping Center, bringing 175 historical horse racing machines to the area. 

The machines work similarly to slots, which is part of why the county says the VRC leaned on the wrong law when it justified the license.

The commission based its approval on a 1992 referendum in which Henrico voters agreed to allow pari-mutuel wagering. However, Henrico argues that the referendum no longer applies because the General Assembly didn’t expand the definition of pari-mutuel wagering to include historical horse racing until 2018. 

As the petition puts it, at the time when the “outdated referendum” was presented to local voters, “HHR Slot Machines had not yet been invented.” 

“And even if they did exist, that form of gambling would have been illegal in the Commonwealth under then-existing laws.”, the petition further said.

”Broken Promises”

The county, along with two nearby residents, is asking the Richmond Circuit Court to void Roseshire’s license and cover its legal costs. The petition also takes aim at Churchill Downs, Inc., Roseshire’s parent company, accusing it of a “lack of transparency and broken promises.” 

In 2019, Colonial Downs’ former owners told Henrico they wouldn’t move a gaming operation into the county without local approval. After the track was sold to Churchill Downs, the county says that approach vanished. When Churchill Downs filed plans for Roseshire last year, it did so just days before a new ordinance would have required public input.

County Manager John Vithoulkas didn’t mince words, saying the voices of residents “were intentionally and wrongly silenced.” He added that the company “chose a cynical path that shows they’re not interested in being a good neighbor or a valued corporate citizen.”

Worried Residents 

Many residents are worried about what the gaming parlor means for the surrounding neighborhood, which includes more than 2,700 homes within a mile. State senator Schuyler VanValkenburg said the area should be used for mixed-use redevelopment, not gaming. “I just don’t think that we should have widespread gaming in the middle of a community,” he said.

VanValkenburg believes the only fair path forward is a local referendum. “Our citizens should have a vote. And if they want it, then they want it,” he said. “A corporation should not be allowed to big boy us and just do what they want.”Roseshire saw more than $5.6 million in wagers in its first days, paying out a little over $5 million.