The Greenbrier Faces High-Stakes Casino Showdown With Rival Homestead

The opening of the Casino Club helped breathe new life into The Greenbrier after the historic West Virginia resort emerged from bankruptcy in 2010. Sixteen years later, the owners of ‘America’s Resort’ are in a race against time to refinance nearly $300 million in overdue loans and block a takeover bid by Omni Hotels’ parent company.

U.S. Sen. Jim Justice (R-WV)—a coal tycoon and former West Virginia governor—has owned The Greenbrier since rescuing the bankrupt resort in 2009. His family’s buyout saved thousands of jobs at a property that was losing millions each year.

Today, The Greenbrier is said to make a small operational profit, but the resort has $289.5 million in loans that became due in April. The resort is facing other accumulating debt, has negative working capital, and is late on tax bills.

Omni Seeks Takeover

The $289.5 million loan vehicle matured on April 1, 2026. On April 17, a lawsuit was filed by the holder of the debt, White Sulphur Springs Holdings, an affiliate of Omni Hotels. Omni owns and operates The Greenbrier’s primary competitor, The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa, in nearby Hot Springs, Va.

The Justice family took out the loan with Virginia-based Carter Bank. The bank, however, later sold the debt to White Sulphur Springs Holdings, which attorneys with the Justices allege in court filings should have never been allowed.

The battle over The Greenbrier is now playing out on two judicial fronts: Omni has filed a federal lawsuit to place the resort in receivership, while the Justice family has launched state litigation alleging Omni executed a ‘fraudulent conspiracy’ to engineer a takeover by purchasing its $289.5 million debt.

The Greenbrier’s attorneys have asked both courts for additional time, specifically, until Aug. 7, 2026, to finish a $500 million financing deal with New York private equity firm Kennedy Lewis Investment Management. The money would be used to pay off the debt held by Omni and other liabilities, and include funding for much-needed hotel renovations.

The courts have not yet ruled on the requested extensions to delay the cases.

Greenbrier Casino at Risk

Like The Greenbrier, The Homestead endured years of financial difficulties and several ownership changes. Omni bought the famed property in 2013 and invested $150 million in a complete renovation.

Unlike the Justice family, which bet on a casino at The Greenbrier to help grow revenue, Omni focused on making The Homestead more family-friendly with an outdoor water park called Allegheny Springs that features a 400-foot-long lazy river and two 100-foot water slides.

If Omni is to acquire The Greenbrier, the future of The Casino Club could be at risk. The luxury hotelier does not have a single resort with a casino in its portfolio.

The privately held hotel company was founded by Robert Rowling, and the Omni empire remains controlled by the family. The Rowlings are major donors to the Republican Party and conservative causes, and the family patriarch is said to be an active, devout evangelical Christian.

The Rowling Foundation is a “Christ-focused” organization designed to “proclaim the name of Jesus Christ throughout the world.” Evangelical Christians broadly oppose gambling in all forms, with the National Association of Evangelicals labeling gambling a “social evil that feeds upon greed.”