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Colonial Downs Group Ups Wages at VA Gaming Parlors

Colonial Downs Logo

(AP) A company that operates gambling parlors with slot-like machines plans to raise wages of its employees to a minimum of $15 an hour.

Colonial Downs Group announced Thursday that it would pay the new wages starting in January at gambling facilities in Richmond, Hampton, Vinton and New Kent County, as well as any future facilities the company may open.

The move comes as lawmakers are set to debate during the 2020 legislative session whether to legalize casinos in Virginia, which could affect Colonial Downs' revenues. The company said tipped workers will be paid at least $9 an hour. 

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.