- Rivers Casino Portsmouth has completed the steel framing for their complex which will open in early 2023.
- A topping off ceremony was held with a Rivers-yellow steel beam signed by the construction team and Rivers Casino executives.
- The $300 million-plus project will feature a casino, BetRivers Sportsbook, premier restaurants, a live entertainment lounge, hotel, and event center.
The license plate says ‘Virginia is for Lovers’. They might need to change that to say ‘Virginia is for Gamblers’. 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. The first property to open will likely be the Rivers Casino Portsmouth, although the Hard Rock Casino Bristol will open a ‘temporary casino’ on July 8, 2022.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth has announced the completion of the steel framing for their gaming complex. The property is located on Victory Boulevard in Portsmouth, Virginia and the plan is for an early 2023 opening. To commemorate the occasion, Rush Street Gaming–developer and operator of Rivers Casino Portsmouth–held a ‘Topping-Off Ceremony’ along with the Ballard-Yates construction teams and local government officials. Here’s how the press release making the announcement described the proceedings:
At a Topping-Off Ceremony this morning, a Rivers-yellow steel beam — signed by the Ballard-Yates construction teams, Rivers Casino Portsmouth leadership, and local officials — was raised against the backdrop of celebratory music and hoisted into place. The beam marks a significant construction milestone for the property since its groundbreaking in December 2021.
The brief beam-raising ceremony featured remarks from Senator L. Louise Lucas; Mayor Shannon Glover (Portsmouth); Roy Corby, General Manager, Rivers Casino Portsmouth; and Justin Ballard, S.B. Ballard Construction Company (Ballard-Yates).
After the ceremonial beam was bolted into place, Rush Street Gaming, the developer and operator of Rivers Casino Portsmouth, hosted an appreciation lunch for the entire construction crew.
Justin Ballard, S.B. Ballard Construction Company, was pleased to see so much progress on the project take place in less than a year:
“We began moving dirt and setting the stage less than a year ago, and we are making great progress. Despite supply chain disruptions caused by the pandemic, we are still on track to complete this project early 2023.”
Roy Corby, General Manager, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, thanked the construction crew for their hard work:
“Ballard-Yates shares our commitment to high-quality construction and timely delivery of Portsmouth’s state-of-the-art casino, and we thank the entire construction team for their continued hard work and partnership as we make steady progress toward opening.”
What wasn’t mentioned was the massive amount of manpower required to get the property open and operational. Rivers Casino Portsmouth will create 1,300 new permanent jobs and approximately 1,400 construction jobs. With the labor market as tight as anytime in recent memory, getting these jobs filled could be the hardest part of the project.
Other than the hotel, casino and Rivers Sportsbook the details about such amenities as food and beverage, entertainment, etc. are still ‘TBA’. Here’s a blurb about the project from the press release:
Rivers Casino Portsmouth is a world-class destination—a $300 million-plus local investment—currently under active construction along Victory Boulevard as part of Portsmouth’s New Entertainment District. The complex will feature a casino, a sportsbook, a hotel, event and conference venues, premier restaurants and more. Rivers Casino will be developed and operated by Rush Street Gaming, one of the fastest-growing casino and entertainment companies in the country.
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.
