The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol debuted on Thursday, November 14, with the company hosting a ceremonial guitar smashing to officially greet the resort's inaugural guests. 

Situated along the Virginia-Tennessee border, Bristol, located on the Virginia side, was approved for a commercial casino license via state legislation enacted in 2020. The drive to introduce Las Vegas-style casinos in the commonwealth and lift Virginia’s prohibition on slot machines and table games was spearheaded by notable Bristol businessmen Jim McGlothlin of United Co. and Clyde Stacy of Par Ventures. 

Following the approval from state lawmakers for five cities to explore casino projects to boost economic growth, McGlothlin and Stacy joined forces with Hard Rock International. In November 2020, local voters in Bristol approved the gaming development with more than 71% backing, the highest percentage among the four cities that successfully held casino referendums during that election. 

Four years later, Hard Rock's vision of over half a billion dollars has come to fruition.

"It was a moonshot,” McGlothlin said of overturning Virginia’s ban on casino gambling.

Now that the $515 million resort is complete, employing more than 1,000 individuals, yielding tens of millions in local tax revenue from the temporary casino's operations, and featuring a 45-foot-tall guitar outside the 620K-square-foot venue, McGlothlin is confident there’s no regret from buyers. 

“I bet if we did the referendum today, we’d get 90% support,” McGlothlin, dubbed a “Bristol Living Legend” this summer by Virginia Business, told the crowd during today’s ceremony.

Blake Shelton Leads 

Like all Hard Rock casino and resort locations, the central theme is music, music, music. The integrated resort with a rock ‘n’ roll theme intends to feature live music nearly every evening and major headline performers during the week. 

Country music icon Blake Shelton will assume the role of opening headliner this evening with a completely sold-out show at the resort’s 2,000-capacity Hard Rock Live venue. 

Shelton is a fitting choice for the inaugural night of Hard Rock Bristol, given that the town is regarded as the origin of country music. That distinction comes from Fiddlin’ John Carson's recording of his version of “Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane” in a Virginia town in 1923. 

The gaming area at Hard Rock Bristol features 1,500 slot machines, 50 live dealer table games, and a Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook. The hotel features 303 rooms and offers various dining options, such as a Hard Rock Café, the signature steak and seafood restaurant Council Oak, and a food court "marketplace" that includes fried chicken, soul food, and noodle bar selections. 

Music memorabilia features items related to Ozzy Osbourne, Bob Dylan, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash. 

Virginia Emerging as a Significant Gaming Market 

Previously one of the most restrictive states for gaming, Virginia's commercial gaming sector keeps growing. Hard Rock Bristol is the second permanent casino to launch, following the nonhotel Rivers Casino Portsmouth, which opened in January 2023. 

Caesars Entertainment intends to launch a $750 million casino resort venue in Danville next month. A new casino is being developed in Norfolk, and last week, voters in Petersburg approved a casino resort by The Cordish Companies, known for its Live!-branded venues. 

Churchill Downs has also recently launched its gaming resort in Dumfries known as The Rose. That location features historical racing machines similar to slot machines.