- Rivers Casino Portsmouth has announced the grand opening date of January 15, 2023.
- A ‘topping off ceremony’ was held with a Rivers-yellow steel beam signed by the construction team and Rivers Casino executives earlier this year.
- The $300 million-plus project will feature a casino, BetRivers Sportsbook, premier restaurants, a live entertainment lounge, hotel, and event center.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth has announced that the grand opening of the $340 gaming property is set for January 15, 2023 at 3:00 PM Eastern. To no surprise, the Virginia Lottery Board approved licensing for the Rush Street Gaming owned and operated casino. Rush Street broke ground on the property in December 2021 and held a ‘topping out’ ceremony earlier this year.
The highlight of the property–at least for the readership of this website–will be a state of the art BetRivers Sportsbook. The sportsbook will be located just beneath the TopGolf Swing Suites and will feature the ‘largest high-def screens in Hampton Roads’. The sportsbook will offer sportswriter staffed betting windows along with 27 self serve betting kiosks. Here’s an ‘artists rendering’ of the sportsbook:
Portsmouth, Virginia is part of the ‘Hampton Roads’ area along with near by Newport News, Norfolk and Virginia Beach. It is just over three hours (200 miles) from Washington, DC and 90 minutes (just under 100 miles) from Richmond.
In November, 2020 voters in the state approved the construction of casinos in the cities of Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk. The four casinos in the state are now under construction: Caesars Virginia (Danville), Hard Rock Bristol Resort and Casino, HeadWaters Resort & Casino (Norfolk) and the Rivers Casino Portsmouth. Rivers Casino Portsmouth will be the first to open a permanent facility although the Hard Rock Casino Bristol opened a ‘temporary casino’ on July 8, 2022. That casino is located in the old Belk’s department store at an abandoned shopping mall. Seriously.
In addition to the sportsbook, the Rivers Casino Portsmouth will feature an expansive gaming floor with 1,448 slot machines, 57 table games, and 24 poker tables in a dedicated poker room. The casino will have ten new restaurants and bars, including high-end dining at Admiral’s Steak and Seafood, casual dining at Crossings Café and Asian cuisine at Mian; plus, Slice Pizzeria, Starbucks and more.
The Event Center, a 25,000 square foot multipurpose grand hall and reception area, will host weddings and galas, conventions and expos, meetings and conferences—and headline performers. The Sound Bar, an intimate stage and lounge area, will host local bands, DJs, and more.
Tim Drehkoff, CEO, Rush Street Gaming, is obviously excited to see the ‘finish line’ for his company’s newest property:
“We’re grateful to the Virginia Lottery Board, the City of Portsmouth, and the Hampton Roads community for their continued support. It’s been exciting to watch the building go up, and we’re eager for the public to see what’s inside.”
Rivers Casino Portsmouth will be the fifth ‘brick and mortar’ gaming property operated by Rush Street Gaming. The others are Rivers Casino Des Plaines, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, Rivers Casino Philadelphia and Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady.
