Standing in the former capital of the Confederacy on an industrial site he wants to turn into the nation’s only Black-owned casino, Alfred Liggins doesn’t talk about revenue or market share. He talks about race and equity.
“We always thought we were in the business of serving the African American community,” he said. “A big part of lifting up a community . . . is about business opportunities. We viewed gaming for many, many years as one of those opportunities.”
Liggins, 56, CEO of media conglomerate Urban One, plans to build One Casino and Resort with a 250-room hotel, a live theater, 1,800 slot machines and 100 table games off Interstate 95 in Richmond’s long-neglected, majority-Black Southside. In November, the city will hold a referendum on the project after Urban One beat other contenders to bring gaming to River City.
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