The Town of Dumfries has undergone several changes within the past year, from the dedication of Willie Toney Court at Ginn Park, to the recent announcement of the former Confederate Court becoming Liberty Lane. Next year promises even more changes, as Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, one of the state’s most leading entertainment venues for gaming and horse racing, will be coming to Dumfries.

Already having locations in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent and Vinton, Rosie’s has been a staple throughout the state, improving the local economy of its locations. Featuring simulated horse racing games, food and other forms of entertainment, they were named the “Attraction of the Year” by Richmond’s Region Tourism at its Colonial Downs location. It’s the same type of excitement that they plan to bring to Dumfries as construction is already underway.

Recently we spoke with the SVP of Strategic Communications for McGuireWoods Consulting Mark Hubbard and Lisa Speller of Media Relations about what will Rosie’s specifically bring to the Dumfries community. We asked them why was Dumfries chosen as the next site for their operations. “Dumfries is a great community that was looking for opportunities to revitalize downtown, and we wanted to bring historical horse racing to Northern Virginia, said Hubbard.” It’s been very successful in central and western VA in terms of creating jobs and tax revenues.”

Speller added, “Dumfries is definitely a town that is growing. Just hearing about the county and the town itself, it’s positioning itself to do great things. You can see a variety of things happening in the community, so we think it’s going to be a great opportunity for us.”

Rosie’s has done more than just provide entertainment, it also has helped those in need, especially frontline workers who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it was being a part of the “Bunks Across America” project to provide beds for children, to serving free meals to first responders, giving back is what they are all about.

“That’s one of our core values,” said Speller. “What we do when we come into communities, we look for opportunities to partner. One of the first things we considered when covid hit, was meeting the needs of front line workers. We didn’t do that in markets where we were located, but in markets across the commonwealth. Our leadership has always said yes when it comes to helping others. There were over 35,000 meals that we provided.”

Hubbard agreed that it’s more than just being about providing entertainment, it’s about making a difference. “We’re about providing a fun venue for entertainment, but we also believe that giving back is fun. We know that there are needs in the community in which we operate, and we are proud to contribute to addressing some of the needs.”

Economically is where the gaming attraction will benefit the most. Hubbard discussed the specific ways that the town of Dumfries, and Prince William as a whole, will be the ones to immediately grow from this endeavor. “The two most important things we bring in are jobs and tax revenues. We are going to be hiring 120 employees and most of them will be either Dumfries and Prince William County residents that we hire for the jobs. We will be making significant tax revenues to Dumfries and to the commonwealth. For example in September there will be 150 games in the Dumfries location. You could argue that we will be paying approximately $50,000 a month in taxes to the town of Dumfries, which will help them provide important services to the community. In the month of September we paid the commonwealth $1,416,278 in taxes. Again, the commonwealth is able to provide critical services to communities across the state to education, infrastructure, police hire, frontline security services, all of those things that are essential to the state.”

Speaking of security measures, how does Rosie’s Gaming Emporium plan to address those concerns?

“It’s not fun going to a place where you don’t feel safe. 25% of all of our employees at every location is dedicated to safety and security. We do provide a lot of lighting, we have surveillance cameras, and we make sure that everyone that come there can feel safe and secure,” said Hubbard.

Although there has been questions, Hubbard took the time to address how the overall feedback has been since the announcement of Rosie’s was coming to the community. “Throughout the process of meeting people in the community, such as elected officials, business owners, community activists, it’s been incredibly welcoming and enthusiastic. We’re going to have two job fairs coming in November 14 & 17. More information will be coming out with location and times. People can visit https://rosiesgaming.com/ for more details.”

Speller added, “The citizens, they are focused about the jobs that are coming in the community and entertainment.  We are on track to open in January 2021.”

Speaking of elected officials, Dumfries Vice Mayor Monae Nickerson provided the following statement:

“I am looking forward to Rosie’s Gaming Emporium coming to the town of Dumfries. In my research, before their presence being solidified by a referendum and vote, I found from other municipalities that Rosie’s is a stellar community partner; they invest back into the communities with not only job opportunities but with investments in local businesses and profits. I recognize and appreciate some residents who had concerns over the negative potential that comes along with such an entertainment venue; however, I stand for the opportunity of economic development in our town, which is what we so desperately needed.”

“What we know to be factual is that Rosie’s will bring employment opportunities to our town, as we have never seen before. They are ahead of the curve concerning minimum wage and have starting salaries that surpasses most of the current opportunities we currently have for our general population in Dumfries. They will be strategically located within walking distance of our most densely populated areas. Rosie’s has shown us through their efforts thus far that they are ready to invest in our community, and I look forward to partnering with them.”