PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Two years after Rivers Casino Portsmouth opened as the first permanent casino in the Commonwealth, multiple sources confirm plans are moving forward to build a connecting hotel.
In a Facebook post on Christmas, freshman Councilman Bill Dodson wrote that he was told by the casino’s general manager, “they are in the plans for the hotel now and are waiting on a meeting with planning to ‘go ahead.'”
Dodson added that the casino owners expect the hotel to open before the Norfolk Casino opens. That project, which has yet to officially break ground, is set to open in 2027.
Thursday, Jan. 23 will be the gaming establishments second birthday, and in those two years, the Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming has said very little publicly about its future plans.
When asked about a hotel timeline Tuesday, a casino spokesperson responded by saying, “Thanks for touching base. When we have more details to share, we’ll be in touch.”
Nonetheless, Portsmouth leaders say they intend to make sure the company delivers what people voted for.
The opening of Rivers Casino Portsmouth was a big achievement for many who call the city home.
Approved by more than 70% of voters in 2020, the $340 million, 250,000-square-foot complex, with its 1,400 slot machines and 85 table games, has added more than $35 million to the city’s general fund in gaming taxes alone, according to data from the Virginia Lottery.
That’s aside from real estate taxes, as well as taxes collected from the sports book, golf simulator, bars, restaurants and event spaces.
The money and positive moral is needed in the city, often chided for political dysfunction and crime, according to supporters.
Even with the success, the endeavor still doesn’t match renderings that were sent in mass to voters ahead of the referendum. Missing still is the multi-level tower sitting just to the north of the casino’s main entrance.
Mike Tobin, the senior vice president of real estate and construction for Rush Street Gaming, told Portsmouth City Council in 2021, “absolutely we are building a hotel,” but said the company needed to study the hotel market in Hampton Roads first.
As part of the development agreement between the city and Rush Street Gaming, the casino project was allowed to be built in phases. However, it also included clauses that would force the hotel to be constructed if certain benchmarks were met.
One of those benchmarks includes the net gaming revenue exceeding $250 million in two consecutive 12-month periods.
Net gaming revenue is defined in the agreement as gross revenues minus winnings, free play, promotions and bonuses. The Virginia Lottery though only reports adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which is wagers minus winnings.
Between January 2023 and February 2024, the casino reported more than $260 million in AGR. Between February 2024 and January 2025, the casino reported more than $286 million in AGR.
What isn’t known is how much less net gaming revenue is.
10 On Your Side asked how the city was monitoring the progress. No specifics were given.
“The City of Portsmouth has a great relationship with Rivers Casino,” Steven Carter, Portsmouth’s City Manager, said in a statement. “Rest assured that the city is committed to monitoring and enforcing all obligations under the development agreement to protect the interests of Portsmouth and its residents.”
Councilman Vernon Tillage, who serves as a liaison to the Portsmouth Economic Development Authority, had similar sentiments.
“I think the city council is by far committed to making sure that the citizens of Portsmouth get what they desire,” Tillage said. “And I think all seven of us are on board making sure that the city is in the best particular it can possibly be in.”