Official groundbreaking hosted for Rosie's Gaming Emporium in Vinton

VINTON, Va. – Off-track betting is one step closer to returning to the town of Vinton. 

On Monday, Colonial Downs hosted an official groundbreaking for the future Rosie's Gaming Emporium.  Once construction is finished, the property will house betting machines, a restaurant and bar as well as a gift shop. Past and live racing games will be available. 

Officials say they expect to hire about 125 employees. The project is estimated to generate about $1.5 million in taxes annually -- about $500,000 will go to the town.

"We're excited to be here. I think everybody else is excited to bring life back to a facility here in Vinton that has been closed for a while," said Mike Donovan, corporate vice president of marketing for the Colonial Downs Group. 

The emporium is expected to open in April.