Welcome to Just Outside DC — the only newsletter with the same body fat percentage as your milk — 2% 🥛 

THE BIG IDEA

Virginia casinos are rakin’ in that dough.

Remember when you had to road trip to Vegas or Atlantic City to lose your hard-earned cash at a casino?

Well, those days are long gone for Virginians.

In May, the state's three casinos — Bristol Casino, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and Caesars Virginia in Danville — collectively generated a whopping $62.7 million in adjusted gaming revenue (or AGR for short).

TLDR: That's a lot of slot machines going “ka-ching!” 💸 

Here's the breakdown on the numbers:

• Bristol Casino: $15.46 million AGR

• Rivers Casino Portsmouth: $27 million AGR

• Caesars Virginia: $20.28 million AGR

The state is cashing in, too. Virginia law taxes casino AGR on a graduated scale, and in May, those taxes totaled $11.29 million.

The host cities of Portsmouth and Danville each received 6% of their respective casinos' AGRs (about $1.6 million and $1.2 million), while Bristol's share goes to the Regional Improvement Commission for distribution throughout Southwest Virginia.

And it’s not stopping there.

Norfolk has another casino in the works — the $500 million HeadWaters Resort & Casino — although it's currently in a holding pattern while the developers make design changes.

So, if you're feeling lucky, you might not need to book that flight to Vegas after all.

Just remember: the house always wins!

Bulletin Board 📌 

Reader Restaurant Recommendation: One of our readers, Edmund, recommends you guys check out Celebrity Delly in Falls Church.

This place has been around for almost fifty years, and they make absolutely everything in house — except for the pickles.

(The fact that the sandwiches are as big as your forearm makes up for it though)

If you want us to give you, your town, and your favorite NoVA restaurant a shout out in the newsletter, just use this fancy little form.

QUICK HITS 

• Lionel Messi was seen practicing with his team at George Mason University.

• BBQ season is upon us. Check out this article on where to get all your essentials before firing up the grill.

• Dulles Airport was found to be the most expensive airport in the United States for a third year in a row.

• Check out this ultimate guide to outdoor patio dining in the DC area.

• MicroStrategy (Tysons Corner) is raising $700M dollars so they can buy even more Bitcoin.

• Check out this Pixar-themed mini-golf course that’s open for the summer in Washington D.C.

• This is how garbage was collected in Alexandria Virginia before plastic trash bags were a thing.  

LIVE EVENT LOWDOWN

• Films in the Park | an outdoor screening of the movie Barbie at Strawberry Park tomorrow.

• Chillin’ on Church | the hottest block party in Vienna is going down this Friday on Church Street! This free family-friendly event has local beer and wine, food vendors, and live music.

• Portside in Old Town Summer Fest | This free festival features an array of live music, local craft beer, and fun for the whole family on the Alexandria waterfront!

• Manassas Bee Festival | the free annual event is back with a costume parade, food vendors, live music, kids activities, and more!

• Giant BBQ Battle | One of the largest weekend summer celebrations in the country is going down at Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday.

• Broccoli City Festival is coming to Audi Field in DC next month.

• Robert Plant & Alison Krauss are performing at Wolf Trap tonight.

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