Richmond voters will have a second chance to vote on host- ing a $560 million casino in South Side.

Judge W. Reilly Marchant cleared the way Wednesday by blocking a Richmond charity bingo group’s attempt to challenge the constitutionality of the order he signed July 25 to put the issue on the Nov. 7 general election ballot.

In a six-page decision, the chief judge of the Richmond Circuit Court ruled that South Side-based Richmond Lodge No.1 of the Good Lions could not show it had a legal right to intervene in the case, also known as standing, and lifted the temporary suspension of the order he imposed last week while he considered the issue.

If the Good Lions had won, the referendum likely would have been dead for this year, given the additional hearings that would have been required to deal with the constitutional question.

Judge Marchant found that the Good Lions’ claim that it would lose revenue if the casino opened was traceable to the 2019 state legislation authorizing casinos, but had nothing to do with City Council’s no-bid selection of a preferred operator as Good Lion never competed for that opportunity.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney stated that he was pleased that the ruling from Judge Marchant that will allow a second vote on the proposed casino-resort, a joint venture involving Kentucky-based Churchill Downs and Maryland-based Urban One to develop on 100 acres at 2001 Walmsley Blvd. next to the Bells Road interchange on Interstate 95.

In 2021, voters narrowly rejected a similar casino proposal, but the mayor and the majority of council are trying again to win a majority for the project that promises to create 1,300 new jobs and $30 million in annual tax revenue for the city.

Also cheering the decision was RVA Entertainment Holdings, the company the two companies have created to undertake the project. “We’re glad this matter is resolved,” spokesman Michael Kelly stated.

Foes, though, are fuming that Judge Marchant refused to consider whether the mayor and council could award the lucrative franchise without first seeking competitive bids as the state constitution requires.

“This is wrong, but no citizen is allowed to challenge the award of a sweetheart contract that is explicitly barred by the state constitution,” said political strategist Paul Goldman, who is heading the “No Means No Casino” opposition campaign that has secured $110,000 in contributions.

“What’s the use of having rules if no one in government has to obey them and no citizen can object to an illegal process,” he asked.