Hundreds of people braved windy, cold weather for hours Monday morning as they eagerly waited to step inside and spend some money at Hampton Roads’ first casino — and the state’s first permanent facility.
After an estimated $340 million investment and a little more than a year of construction, Rivers Casino Portsmouth officially opened its doors, which will remain open 24 hours per day year-round.
The casino project has moved quickly, getting a green light in 2020 from a successful ballot referendum. Construction began about a year later, and in November, the Virginia Lottery Board granted the operating license.
“Just 412 days ago, we stood at this very spot and we broke ground, right here in the 757,” said casino general manager Roy Corby during Monday’s grand opening event. “In less than 14 months, Rush Street Gaming and Rivers Casino went from 10 shovels and two backhoes to more than 1,446 slot machines, 57 tables, 24 poker tables, five restaurants and bars, and over 25,000 square feet of event space.”
Patrons were allowed in following the grand opening and ribbon-cutting event. At one point, they chanted “Let us in!”
They were eager to get gaming. Newport News resident Charlie Brown rushed straight to the Blackjack table, with several hundred ready to spend.
“I’m happy they finally opened,” Brown said. “It’s very nice.”
Suffolk resident Sharon Hart said she was happy to see so many tables.
“Thank God it’s here,” she said. “Now I don’t have to go to Atlantic City.”
Brown also said he’s happy he won’t have to travel to Maryland anymore.
The casino, located along Victory Boulevard near the newly named Missy Elliott Boulevard, allows smoking, with ashtrays placed throughout the space. Suffolk resident Mia Smith enjoyed a cigarette while playing slots. She said enduring the cold weather was worth the wait.
“You feel like you’re at a casino, a real casino,” she said. “It’s going to be a neat experience for everyone who comes.”
But not everyone was pleased that the casino allows smoking. Virginia Beach resident Geralene Coward said she’d prefer to see designated smoking sections and that she worries for the older adults.
“I love it except the smoking,” she said, moments before winning a round of Roulette.
The Spartan Legion Marching Band of Norfolk State University kicked off the grand opening event, with remarks from city leaders including Mayor Shannon Glover and Economic Development Director Brian Donahue. Past and current council members also gathered to see the yearslong effort become a reality.
“The energy over the last week and the lead-up to today has been tremendous,” Donahue said. “I would say it’s a sign of things to come for this great city. To think that just over a year ago, the very location where we are gathered today sat vacant, a blank canvas, which has become the mid-Atlantic region’s newest and finest gaming destination, the first of its kind in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”
Corby said about 1,400 construction workers were employed, and the casino expects to employ up to 1,300 permanent positions. It’s estimated the casino will generate $16 million in annual tax revenue for the city, which Glover said can help the City Council fund other priorities like staffing the Portsmouth Police Department and providing more funding for education.
Glover also said he anticipates the casino will become a community space for larger causes, citing charity and special events that had already been held at the casino before Monday.
“The casino will be much more than a place to gamble,” Glover said. “This will be a place where people can come with their friends, their family, to have fun, to socialize and to enjoy the amenities. … We’re grateful to have Rivers Casino Portsmouth become a member of the Portsmouth family.”
Monday’s grand opening followed two charity nights that allowed operators to test the equipment, a requirement of the Virginia Lottery Board. Players kept their winnings, but a total of $510,000 in proceeds have been split evenly among Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, USO Hampton Roads and Central Virginia, and Wesley Community Service Center, with checks delivered at the grand opening event.
Natalie Anderson, 757-732-1133, natalie.anderson@virginiamedia.com
