Construction on a long-awaited waterfront casino in Norfolk, Virginia, can finally begin after the city council approved the final development certificate, ending years of delays.
The new casino project is a partnership between the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Boyd Gaming, which now has the green light to start building.
This is the third version of the project since Norfolk voters approved a casino in 2020. The city has consistently supported the new development group's plan over the past few months. This support came after years of opposition from the council to the Pamunkey Indian Tribe's revised proposal, which had scaled down the original plan and divided it into several construction phases.
This summer, the tribe teamed up with Boyd Gaming, one of the country's largest casino operators, to push the long-delayed project forward. Boyd now owns most of Gold Eagle, the development group that will build and run the planned $500 million casino next to Harbor Park.
The latest version of the casino has several design changes compared to the original plans. The conference space has been reduced to less than 10,000 square feet from 30,000 square feet in a 2022 proposal. Also, the number of hotel rooms has decreased from 300 to 200.
Will Smoking Be Allowed in New Casino?
The big question now is whether smoking will be allowed in the casino.
Councilwoman Andria McClellan was the only one to vote against the proposal because she was concerned about allowing smoking. City leaders had previously asked if the casino could be a non-smoking facility.
While McClellan told 13NewsNow, "I really wish we could make it non-smoking, but legally we can't require it," City Attorney Bernard Pishko explained that implementing non-smoking policies would be costly for both the city and the casino. As a result, the developer was unwilling to agree to a smoking ban.
Pishko noted that the casino will feature an air-filtration system designed to minimize the presence of tobacco smoke inside. According to the development certificate, smoking is permitted in the casino only if it complies with the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act.
On a side note, when the Rivers Casino opened last year in Portsmouth, smoking was also raised as a concern, which led the casino to label some areas as non-smoking.
When Will The New Norfolk Casino Be Finished?
Project officials expect construction to begin before the end of the year. Meanwhile, they will build a temporary casino near the site. Developers must finish this temporary Virginia casino by November 2025 to obtain the Virginia State Lottery license.
The full hotel and casino complex will offer numerous attractions and amenities, including:
- 1,500 slot machines
- 50 table games
- 200-room hotel with a pool deck
- Bars and Restaurants
- Showroom
- Spa
- Fitness Center
- Meeting Spaces
- Parking Garage
The casino's developers plan to open the complex in September 2027. But while you're waiting, you get a look at the list of sweepstakes casinos to try. Sweepstakes casinos are legal in Virginia while we wait for online casino legislation to pass in the Commonwealth. Please remember that if you choose to gamble, always play responsibly.
