State tourism fortunes rose in 2025 from casinos

Virginia’s tourism landscape shifted sharply last year as a wave of new attractions opened or broke ground, led by the rapid expansion of casino gaming.

In Danville, Caesars Virginia opened its $800 million permanent venue at the end of 2024, and in recent months, Norfolk and Petersburg debuted temporary casinos while the permanent resorts are under construction.

In 2025, Virginia’s casinos brought in about $969.1 million in adjusted gaming revenues (AGR), a 32% surge from the previous year. In the lead was Caesars Virginia, which brought in AGR of more than $393.8 million. Meanwhile, Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol earned $316.4 million and $256.3 million respectively.

Norfolk entered the scene with the November 2025 opening of the Interim Gaming Hall, and work has begun on the $750 million permanent resort on the Elizabeth River’s banks, with completion expected in 2027. In January, Petersburg debuted the temporary Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia with more than 900 slot machines and 30 table games, becoming the state’s fifth city to open a casino.

The Cordish Cos. and Bruce Smith Enterprise expect the $1.4 billion mixed-use development to be completed in late 2027, officials said in January.

Beyond gambling, Virginia Beach made waves last year with the opening of Atlantic Park Surf, the first Wavegarden Cove Surf Lagoon on the East Coast. The 2.67-acre surf lagoon is part of Atlantic Park, a $350 million mixed-use entertainment venue and surf lagoon project backed by music icon Pharrell Williams and Venture Realty Group, which also includes a new version of The Dome music venue that opened in Virginia Beach in May 2025. As of January, with a new naming sponsor, the venue is now called The Dome by Rutter Mills.

Looking ahead in 2026, the state is gearing up for major celebrations of the nation’s 250th birthday, including June’s Sail250, bringing more than 60 tall ships and naval vessels from around the world to Virginia, with the fleet eventually docking in Norfolk. The event is anticipated to draw more than 3 million visitors to the Chesapeake Bay region and generate at least $150 million in revenue, officials say.

And near the end of the year, Kalahari Resorts & Conventions is set to open its African-themed indoor water park concept in Spotsylvania County. The $900 million, 1.38 million-square-foot resort, taking shape off Interstate 95, will feature 907 guest rooms and suites, a 175,000-square-foot indoor water park, a 90,000-square-foot adventure park and 150,000 square feet of meeting space.

Eric Terry, president of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association, previously said the hotel will be the largest hotel in the state when it opens. Guests can now book overnight stays beginning Dec. 18.

“We’re excited to welcome families to Spotsylvania beginning in late 2026 and to bring the full Kalahari experience to Virginia,” says Kalahari Resorts & Conventions CEO Todd Nelson.

In April, the Richmond Flying Squirrels Double-A baseball team will start their season in the new field, CarMax Park, which is next to their former home, The Diamond.

Last fall, Virginia Beach made a request for proposals for a new “action sports facility” on 19th Street between Parks Avenue and Birdneck Road, the site of a surface parking lot. Proposals were due in December 2025, and city officials are expected to decide in the first quarter of the year whether to review further or advance one of the submitted plans.

Meanwhile, the 200,000-square-foot Greater Williamsburg Sports and Events Center is expected to be complete by August, offering room for a dozen basketball courts, 24 volleyball courts and 36 pickleball courts.