PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth rolled the dice and opened a casino two years ago. Since opening on Jan. 23, 2023, the casino and the city said the gamble has paid off.
The casino has welcomed more than four million customers during its time in operation. Virginia Lottery data shows the casino raked in more than $309 million in 2024, outpacing the roughly $250 million it made in 2023.
A casino spokesperson reports that through Rivers Gives, the casino's charitable arm, it contributed more than $1.3 million in charitable donations and dedicated more than 2,500 volunteer hours to support 110 nonprofit organizations. The spokesperson said those efforts helped the casino earn the CIVIC 50 distinction for two consecutive years as one of the most community-minded operations in Hampton Roads.
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"We are grateful to our Team Members, our guests, and the community for their continued support," Rivers Casino shared with News 3 in a statement Friday.
Portsmouth mayor Shannon Glover said that philanthropic work has been a great asset to the community.
"The casino has been the best partner we could work with," said Glover.
We asked him about the monetary impact too, especially since he said the casino generated roughly 20 million for the city in tax revenue in a year.
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"A big part of those dollars, in fact, we were able to give to our school system this past budget cycle $15 million and the other $5 million that was left over went to tax reduction efforts," said Glover.
He explained that the city was able to give a tax credit on the property/real estate tax rate, reducing it from $1.30 to $1.23, and was able to freeze other rates for residents.
However, the casino's last two years in operation have had some bumps along the way too. Between May 2023 and July 2024, Rivers Casino paid thousands of dollars in fines to the Commonwealth's general fund to settle several compliance and regulatory violations.
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As Rivers Casino Portsmouth heads into its third year of operation, it could soon see another casino popping up nearby.
The Norfolk casino is moving forward. Contractors for the venture were finalized earlier this month. Virginia Beach-based S.B. Ballard Construction and Mississippi-based Yates Construction — which built Portsmouth's casino — are set to lead the construction of the future Boyd Gaming and Pamunkey Indian Tribe casino in Norfolk. They anticipate opening a temporary facility later this year, with the permanent casino opening in late 2027.
If you or someone you know has a problem with gambling, you can call 1-800-GAMBLER.
