Rush Street takes first step in $300 million casino development in Virginia

Rush Street takes first step in $300 million casino development in Virginia

Rush Street breaks ground on a $300 million real-money casino in Virginia.

Rush Street kicks off Virginia casino construction

Rush Street Gaming has officially broken ground on the $300 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth development. 

The construction, the group’s seventh from the ground up, will include a casino, BetRivers Sportsbook, a variety of restaurants, a live entertainment bar, a hotel, and an event center. The facility is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2023.

Rush Street was founded in the mid-1990s by Neil Bluhm, a famed real estate developer, and Greg Carlin, a financier.

It already contained notable developments such as Boston’s Faneuil Hall and Copley Place and the Los Angeles mega-complex Century City and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Greg was an accomplished investment banker with a passion for facility design and gaming operations. 

They formed a partnership to pursue a Canadian government-issued request for proposals (RFP) to construct a casino in Niagara Falls. This collaboration led in the building and operation of Fallsview Casino Resort from the ground up, which remains Canada’s highest-grossing casino to this day.

With a demonstrated track record in significant real estate, a portfolio worth more than $50 billion, and a passion for casino design and development—not to mention an early and historic triumph with Fallsview—Neil and Greg were just getting started. These two native Chicagoans were well on their way to establishing one of the world’s fastest-growing casino gambling firms. This is Rush Street.

About the Company

Rush Street is named after the famed Chicago north-south thoroughfare that runs adjacent to the company’s headquarters. Rush Street has been a historic route in downtown Chicago since the early 1800s, with its residents and shops shifting continually. Rush Street’s restaurants, hotels, entertainment, and high-end shops serve as a metaphor for Rush Street the company—an ever-changing, enticing location.

Rush Street is now home to many full-service casinos, internet gaming, a plethora of restaurants, various hotels, and television production. Our destination-based gaming, entertainment, and leisure value offer is the common thread that runs through all Rush Street business segments. Rush Street is also one of North America’s fastest growing gaming enterprises, having opened four casinos in less than a decade. Rush Street and its affiliates have invested over $3 billion in capital and supported the creation of over 9,000 employment.

The construction, the group’s seventh from the ground up, will include a casino, BetRivers Sportsbook, a variety of restaurants, a live entertainment bar, a hotel, and an event center. 

The facility is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2023. The decision to allow casino gaming was made when voters approved it in a series of November 2020 referendums, with Norfolk, Bristol, and Danville also voting yes. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Hard Rock International, and Caesars Entertainment are the respective operating partners on those developments. A fifth proposed project was shelved last month after residents of Richmond, Virginia’s capital, rejected Urban One’s $565 million One Casino + Resort.

Carlin and Roy were joined at the groundbreaking ceremony on the construction site by Senator L Louise Lucas; Delegate Barry Knight; Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover; and Robert Moore, Portsmouth economic development.

Rivers Casino Portsmouth is expected to provide 1,300 permanent jobs and 1,400 construction jobs in the area and generate an estimated $16.3 million in annual tax revenue for the city.

Quotes from the Press Release

“Today is a watershed moment for Rush Street Gaming and the Commonwealth of Virginia,” Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin declared.

“We’re thrilled to grow our Rivers Casino brand family and to assist in the establishment of the state’s casino sector right here in Portsmouth.”

“Rivers Casino’s well-established strategy of improved gaming experiences and smart community involvement will help build a strong and sustainable economic engine in Portsmouth,” said Roy Corby, general manager of Rivers Casino Portsmouth.

“This is an incredibly exciting time for Portsmouth residents — particularly in terms of employment growth and the overall economic vitality of our beautiful city,” Glover remarked.

“We are also thrilled to provide new business prospects and an altogether new industry to Portsmouth. We are sure that this project will contribute to our community’s vitality.”

About Lou De Aguila

Lou Aguila is a news and feature writer for Golden Casino News. For over a decade, Lou has published news and featured articles for some of the most reputable sports betting and online casino sites in the world, including BetNow.UK, VegasOdds, and BWin. Apart from being a hardcore live casino punter, he also covers sports stories in North American leagues from time to time.