Voters in the Town of Pulaski and Amherst County will decide on 3 November whether pari-mutuel wagering may be offered at licensed satellite facilities. The votes are a necessary local step for proposed Rosie's Gaming Emporium venues connected to Churchill Downs, but approval would not itself open either location.
Pulaski's official election page asks whether satellite pari-mutuel wagering should be permitted under Virginia law. Its voter explanation says the proposed venue would use historical horse racing machines, whose outcomes are based on previously run races. A yes vote would permit wagering subject to state licensing, regulation and any required local approvals.
Cardinal News reports that both proposed venues could have up to 150 terminals because their local populations are below 60,000. The outlet also notes that Amherst voters rejected a similar proposal in 2021. A Virginia law effective from July 2026 allows the locality generating the wagering tax to retain the full local share rather than splitting it with New Kent County.
Jefferies Equity Research analyst David Katz expects both measures to pass and views Pulaski as the easier contest, according to CDC Gaming's account of his investor note. That assessment is a market forecast, not a result. The decisions remain with local voters.
Churchill Downs owns both the Rosie's brand and Colonial Downs in Virginia. The company is seeking the new locations while its existing historical-racing business faces added competition from the temporary casino in Petersburg. The two ballots will therefore determine whether it can pursue regulated satellite venues in these communities, with licensing and site approvals still required afterward.
