Rivers On line casino Portsmouth Preps to Fend Off Norfolk Competitors

• Rivers On line casino Portsmouth is readying to defend its Hampton Roads stronghold on on line casino playing
• A brief on line casino will open in close by Norfolk in September
• Rivers Portsmouth is establishing its first on-site lodge

Rivers On line casino Portsmouth will quickly lose its monopoly on on line casino playing in Virginia’s Hampton Roads when The Interim Gaming Corridor in Norfolk opens this fall.

A rendering of The Touchdown, the forthcoming lodge at Rivers On line casino Portsmouth. Rivers Portsmouth is prepping for close by competitors when a short lived on line casino opens in Norfolk in September 2025. (Picture: Rivers On line casino Portsmouth)

In preparation for the close by competitors, Rivers Portsmouth, owned and operated by Chicago-based Rush Road Gaming, introduced in Could the development of a 106-key lodge with 32 suites. Described as an “upscale” lodging facility, the property, referred to as The Touchdown Lodge, will provide on line casino gamblers on-site lodging.

The Touchdown is Rush’s on line casino lodge model, with different Touchdown Accommodations positioned at Rivers On line casino Pittsburgh and Rivers On line casino Schenectady in New York.

The Touchdown at Rivers On line casino Portsmouth is a $65 million funding. It comes greater than two years after the Hampton Roads on line casino opened subsequent to Tidewater Group School’s Portsmouth Campus in January 2023. Rivers was the primary everlasting on line casino in Virginia.

Rivers On line casino Portsmouth has been a successful wager for Rush Road Gaming. The on line casino generated $250 million in gross gaming income in 2023. That quantity grew to $309 million final 12 months. GGR has solely additional grown this 12 months.   

Norfolk Forthcoming 

Portsmouth and Norfolk had been two of the 5 cities Virginia lawmakers designated for on line casino developments by laws handed in 2020. Each cities formally licensed their respective on line casino tasks by native poll referendums in the course of the November 2020 election.

Norfolk’s on line casino, nevertheless, was persistently delayed due to lawsuits, easement challenges, and funding considerations. Boyd Gaming stepped in final 12 months to rescue the Harbor Park challenge.

Building on the $750 million resort, which can characteristic a 200-room lodge and equally sized on line casino as Rivers Portsmouth, is underway. Boyd will open a short lived on line casino adjoining to the Harbor Park baseball stadium in November.

New Normal Supervisor 

Gaming veteran Roy Corby helped Rush Road Gaming open Rivers On line casino Portsmouth. He oversaw its first two years in operation till he took a job with the Koi Nation in California in June to assist the tribe open an built-in resort on line casino in Sonoma County.

Corby is working with Chickasaw Nation’s World Gaming Options in securing federal approval for the challenge referred to as the Shiloh On line casino & Resort. The Chickasaw, a big gaming tribe primarily based in Oklahoma, helps the Koi Nation pursue its tribal on line casino in Northern California.

This week, Rush named Corby’s successor in Antonio Perez Jr. He’s crisscrossing paths with Corby, as Perez arrives in Virginia from California, the place he beforehand served as normal supervisor of Rolling Hills On line casino Resort. Rollings Hills, owned and operated by the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, is in Tehama County about 100 miles north of Sacramento.

We’re excited to welcome Antonio to our rising household of vacation spot casinos,” mentioned Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Road Gaming. “His intensive background in workforce improvement, visitor expertise, and operations — together with administration of two inns — makes him a wonderful alternative to steer our Virginia property.”

Earlier than Rolling Hills, Perez labored at Penn Leisure at its regional on line casino properties in West Virginia, Maine, Missouri, and Mississippi. Perez’s profession within the gaming business started as a desk recreation seller and slot attendant in West Virginia.