2022 Virginia Business Person of the Year: Jim McGlothlin
Jim McGlothlin had never really thought much about paintings. He was more of a music guy, a fan of Elvis, whom he saw in concert six months before the King’s 1977 death. But the art of the deal — in this case, winning a valuable artwork at an auction — was a familiar feeling. “That’s […]
Rivers Casino Portsmouth plans Jan. 15 opening
Rivers Casino Portsmouth will open to the public Jan. 15 at 3 p.m., according to an announcement Monday. The $340 million venue, part of a planned entertainment district along Victory Boulevard off Interstate 264, will feature 1,448 slot machines, 57 table games and 24 poker tables as well as 10 bars and restaurants and an event […]
Petersburg approves Cordish Cos. for possible casino
Petersburg City Council is taking a gamble on Maryland-based The Cordish Cos. to develop a casino there — even though Petersburg doesn’t yet have permission to build a casino, according to state law. Council members voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of Cordish,, a commercial real estate company that has developed casinos across the mid-Atlantic and […]
Virginia Lottery reports record $3.75B in revenue
The Virginia Lottery posted record sales of $3.75 billion and a record of almost $779.6 million in profits for fiscal year 2022, the lottery‘s board announced Tuesday. Sales increased roughly 15% from last year, and the lottery’s profits increased about 1.9% over the prior fiscal year’s record. The lottery’s fiscal year ends on June 30. […]
First Va. casino opens in Bristol
Virginia’s first casino, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, held the grand opening for its temporary casino space Friday. “We are excited to open the temporary casino in Bristol,” Hard Rock International Inc. Chief Operating Officer Jon Lucas said in a statement. “Hard Rock’s rich and storied music legacy is a perfect fit for Bristol, […]
Training’s in the cards for Hard Rock Bristol
Mike Pauley started learning poker from his grandfather around age 8 and traveled around the nation playing competitively during his early 20s. When he learned that the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol was hiring casino dealers, he applied online. “I had thought about having a career somewhere, but I didn’t want to move away […]
Gee appointed permanent director of Va. Lottery
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday he has appointed Kelly T. Gee as permanent executive director of the Virginia Lottery, after she served as acting director since January. When she joined the agency in 2018, Gee served as manager of government relations, where she was responsible for managing legislative outreach efforts. She assumed the permanent position […]
Rush Street Gaming announces Portsmouth casino general manager
Chicago-based developer and gaming operator Rush Street Gaming announced Monday that it has named Roy Corby as the general manager for the upcoming $300 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth. “We’re excited to expand our Rivers Casino family of market-leading destination casinos and to help launch Virginia’s new casino industry,” Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin said […]
Richmond casino rejected by voters
Updated 4:20 p.m. Wednesday Richmond voters on Tuesday rejected the proposed $565 million ONE Casino + Resort by about a 1,200-vote margin. The project’s developer, Silver Spring, Maryland-based media company Urban One Inc., acknowledged the referendum’s defeat in a statement Wednesday, as did the city’s mayor. With “no” votes outnumbering yeses, Richmond became the o[...]
Pamunkey Tribe names W.M. Jordan, Suffolk as Norfolk casino builders
Newport News-based construction company W.M. Jordan Co. will team up with a national firm, Suffolk, to build Norfolk’s $500 million HeadWaters Resort & Casino project on the Elizabeth River, according to a Friday announcement from the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, the casino’s operator. Suffolk, which earns $4 billion in annual revenue and employs 2,500 people in […]
Hospitality | Tourism
NEIL P. AMIN CEO, SHAMIN HOTELS, RICHMOND The past year has been a bit of a mixed bag for Amin and Shamin Hotels, one of the United States’ largest independent hoteliers. Shamin, which owns more than 60 hotels, saw its Hilton Richmond Hotel and Spa in Short Pump enter receivership in January after falling behind on […]
Virginia Lottery reports record $3.26B in annual revenue
The Virginia Lottery posted an all-time record $3.26 billion in annual sales and a record $765 million in profits for the fiscal year that ended June 30, the lottery’s board announced Wednesday. The lottery saw a 52% increase in revenue and a nearly 30% increase in profits over the prior fiscal year. The introduction of […]