The background of Rosie's can be traced to 1992, when Virginia authorized up to six off-track betting (OTB) parlors to be operated by the state's yet-to-be-built horse track, subject to local referendum in each city or county.
[7][8] In 2018, Virginia enacted a law to authorize historical horse racing machines at Colonial Downs and its OTB parlors, in an effort to make it economically viable to reopen the track.
[7] Voters in Dumfries approved off-track betting in November 2019, giving Rosie's access to the populous Northern Virginia market.
[25] Construction of the resort began in January 2022 as the landfill closed, with plans to open in late 2023 and total completion of the two phases expected in 2026.
[26][27] The $460 million[28] facility which includes a gaming floor featuring 1,650 slots-like betting machines, had a soft launch on Wednesday, October 23, according to Dumfries Mayor Derrick Wood.