Virginia hold ’em

The slot machines are already ringing out in Bristol and Portsmouth, where Virginia’s first commercial casinos opened during the past year.

The state’s first permanent casino, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, opened its doors on Jan. 23. Operated by Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming, the resort has 1,148 slot machines, 57 table games and 24 poker tables, as well as a sportsbook, a Topgolf “swing suite” and multiple restaurants. The casino is expected to generate $16.3 million in annual tax revenue to the city.

However, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol was first out of the gate in the race, opening a temporary facility in July 2022. Hard Rock International Inc. broke ground in December 2022 on its $400 million permanent Southwest Virginia casino, expected to open in July 2024.

During its first six weeks, Virginians and guests from 48 other states visited the temporary Hard Rock casino, a 30,000-square-foot space with 900 gaming slots and 20 tables at the former Bristol Mall. The project generated about 600 jobs, and when the permanent casino opens with a 3,200-seat theater and a 20,000-seat outdoor entertainment venue next year, the resort is expected to create 1,500 direct jobs and bring in $21 million in annual tax revenue for Bristol.

Meanwhile, the state’s two other casinos are in the works in Norfolk and Danville.

As of early February, construction had not started on the planned temporary or permanent HeadWaters Resort & Casino on the Elizabeth River. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe-led project hit some roadblocks last year after the city halted plans for a temporary casino inside Harbor Park, the Norfolk Tides’ home stadium. The tribe then announced it would build the temporary casino in the same space in the stadium’s parking lot as the $500 million permanent casino, after the city of Norfolk sold the land to the developer.

According to Jay Smith, spokesman for the casino, construction of the permanent casino and hotel will take 18 months to two years, and both facilities are expected to generate $30 million in annual gaming and sales taxes for Norfolk.

Smith said in February that the tribe hopes to reach agreement on the land sale “in the next few weeks. We look forward to breaking ground as soon as possible.”

In Danville, plans for a temporary Caesars Virginia resort at the former Dan River Inc. mill site are moving forward, with a possible midyear opening, although Caesars Entertainment Inc. officials are keeping their cards close to the vest when it comes to details. Table game dealers were set to start training in late February in preparation for the permanent resort’s opening in late 2024.

Caesars announced a partnership with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in August 2022, with an accompanying increased investment from $400 million to $600 million. The cash influx will mean a larger hotel, growing from 300 to 500 rooms. The project will also have a 2,500-person entertainment venue and 40,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.

“Following COVID-19 pandemic closures, we found that regional gaming markets across the country recovered more quickly than anticipated,” explains Cory Blankenship, EBCI’s treasury secretary. “We are confident that market conditions — regional population, consumer demographics, proximity to other gaming markets and other variables — are favorable to support an expanded scope to the Danville project.” 

The fate of a fifth potential casino — either in Richmond or Petersburg — was still undecided as of this issue’s mid-February deadline. Richmond voters rejected a proposed Urban One Inc.-backed casino in late 2021, but city officials were pursuing a second referendum vote this fall, while Petersburg leaders were trying to bring a referendum to their ballots.

State lawmakers pulled from consideration two bills that would have opened the possibility for a casino in Northern Virginia, but the legislation could return for consideration during the 2024 General Assembly session.