Rivers Casino Portsmouth is set to become the first permanent casino to open in Virginia. The facility is expected to open its doors to the general public on January 15, 2023, and on January 10 and January 12 it will open for two “charity days.” Less than a month away from its debut, on Tuesday General Manager Roy Corby hosted a media tour unveiling all the surprises this new facility has to offer.
Construction of the $340 million, 250,000-square-foot casino began in December 2021. The facility will be operated by Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming. The entertainment venue, located along Victory Drive in Portsmouth will be the commonwealth’s first permanent casino, though a temporary casino operated by Hard Rock has been open in Bristol since July. Two other proposed casinos are in the pipeline in Danville and Norfolk.
The upcoming casino will feature 1,448 slot machines, 1,100 of which have already been delivered. About 300 are in the right places already, but the rest are yet to be installed. Another 348 will be delivered before opening day. Additionally, the facility will feature a poker room with 24 tables as well as an area where players can cash in their winnings, and a host check-in area. The poker room is apart from the main floor.
The sportsbook area will have a screen that is 12 feet high and 62 feet wide, for a 753-square-foot viewing wall that can show dozens of televised sports. Overlooking the sportsbook will be a Topgolf suite with three bays, each holding up to eight guests.
Walking on up now! Watch this thread for an inside look! @WAVY_News pic.twitter.com/jk6ACfNfBP
— Jon Dowding (@JonDowding) December 13, 2022
The high-limit game room will have 85 slot machines and 11 tables, along with two private salons and a private table area, for gamblers who are interested in a high roller experience.
The facility will also feature a Sound Bar with live entertainment on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with room for 120 people. It has a rounded bar with 88 seats and tables with seating near the stage. Additionally, the casino will feature three restaurants which will be accessible from outside the main floor and anyone, even those younger than 21, will be able to eat there. Lastly, the casino will feature a 25,000-square-foot event center that can be used as a convention space for conferences and performances.
The casino has held five job fairs so far, and more than 1,100 full-time employees have been hired so far, but the casino is still hiring. According to the latest announcement, the Casino will hold one more before opening day, on Thursday at the Holiday Inn Virginia Beach on Greenwich Road. It starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 6 p.m.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2022/12/15/65398-virginia-rivers-casino-portsmouth-to-become-the-state-39s-first-permanent-casino-on-january-15
