ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – The city of Roanoke received $75,000 from an anonymous casino operator last week for its continued efforts to bring a casino to the Berglund Center. This is despite legislative opposition that appears to have stalled the project for the year.
The payment, received on January 27, came from a casino operator with whom the city has a non-disclosure agreement. Mayor Joe Cobb said the money can be used at the city’s discretion and has not been earmarked for a specific purpose.
“I can’t reveal who the company is, but I can tell you that the money can be used at our discretion, which could include paying for a lobbyist, it could include paying for a market study, or educational components about the proposed entertainment district and the casino as a piece of that,” Cobb said…