MANASSAS PARK, Va. — One of the main issues on the November ballot in Manassas Park is the future of pari-mutuel wagering.
If this type of pool betting is approved, it would allow Churchill Downs Inc. to expand its gambling facility, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, to Manassas Park Shopping Center on Centreville Road.
Rosie’s Gaming Emporium already has a location in Dumfries, which includes a restaurant and many slot-like machines. The proposed plan in Manassas Park would take over a lease and transform a furniture store.
Similar to the amount of tax revenue generated in Dumfries, a spokesperson for Rosie’s Gaming Emporium said Manassas Park would benefit about $1 million in revenue and bring in about 120 jobs.
“We are optimistic,” Mark Hubbard of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium told WUSA9. “Every other community we've been in has said after the fact that we delivered on our promises and they're glad they brought us into the community.”
Councilman Michael Carrera, who helped lead a petition and garner close to 600 signatures, seemed confident most of the voters will approve pari-mutuel wagering. He said with Manassas Park having one of the highest tax rates in the commonwealth, bringing in Rosie’s is needed.
“I'm excited,” said Carrera. “It's an option. It's entertainment for all those who want to utilize it.”
Other council members are on board, citing lower real estate tax bills and more funding for police and firefighters.
However, Mayor Jeanette Rishell and Vice Mayor Alanna Mensing are against the proposed plans.
In a statement, Mensing said, “I’m not sure that Churchill Downs is a good fit for our community. The concept, as it is being presented, is a sports bar with gaming machines.”
Rishell stressed how she opposes large-scale gambling.
“I do not support bringing gambling into our City,” Rishell said in a statement. “It is not a family activity, is not a positive activity and certainly not a good example to set for our children. I have heard folks refer to gambling as a predatory industry. Young people are vulnerable to addictive behavior, and we should not be validating this type of activity by bringing it into the community. Gambling at any age stimulates the brain’s reward system much like drugs and alcohol do. There is simply not enough funding allocated for addiction of all types.
Rishell continued to say, “Although we are told it would bring in a huge amount of revenue, it will change the character of our community and I cannot place a price on the character of our city. I believe that we can achieve our financial goals by continuing recruitment efforts to bring in mainstream businesses.”
Hubbard said not only has gaming become popular across parts of Virginia, but CDI also plans to help the future of Manassas Park.
“We've committed to a very large amount of money as an investment into the downtown revitalization if the voters bring us into Manassas Park,” he said.
If approved, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium could open by mid-2024.