The first of four permanent casino facilities in Virginia opened its doors on Monday in Portsmouth.
Rivers Portsmouth is the first full-service casino to open its doors in the Commonwealth, but it is not the first facility in the state to start accepting customers.
Hard Rock’s temporary property, Bristol Casino, opened its doors last July within the Bristol Mall facility. The permanent casino broke ground in December and is scheduled to open in 2024.
“We’re excited to join such a vibrant community and to unveil this beautiful entertainment venue for all to enjoy,” said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Rush Street Gaming. “We’re grateful to the community and to our Team Members for their support, and we’re looking forward to launching this strong economic engine for the region.”
This is the fifth casino under the Rivers name, joining properties in Pennsylvania, New York, and Illinois.
The Rivers Portsmouth property features a full-service casino with over 1,400 slots and 57 stable games, Virginia’s first poker room, a BetRivers-branded retail sportsbook, and a 25,000-square-foot event center.
“We’re here to serve the community, our guests, and our Team Members,” said Roy Corby, general manager of Rivers Casino Portsmouth. “We’ll accomplish that mission by creating a stellar guest experience and becoming the entertainment destination of choice for Portsmouth, Hampton Roads, and visitors to our area.”
As part of the opening festivities for the casino, Rivers announced a trio of $170,000 donations to Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, USO Hampton Roads and Central Virginia, and Wesley Community Service Center.
As a further commitment to the community, Rivers also solicited minority ownership in the property. Virginia was one of the first states to lead the charge in giving more weight to casino proposals with more diverse ownership and minority involvement.
