Rivers Casino Portsmouth Celebrates One-Year Anniversary as Virginia’s First Permanent Casino

Rivers Casino Portsmouth today marked its first year on Victory Boulevard as Virginia’s first permanent casino with a historic Time Capsule Ceremony.

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(Pictured left to right): Melissa Ramsey, director of community relations, Rivers Casino Portsmouth; Dr. Marcia Conston, President of Tidewater Community College (TCC); Shannon Glover, Mayor of Portsmouth; Speaker Don Scott Jr., Virginia House of Delegates; Senator L. Louise Lucas, President Pro Tempore, Senate of Virginia; Tim Drehkoff, chief executive officer of Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Rush Street Gaming; Roy Corby, general manager of Rivers Casino Portsmouth (Photo: Business Wire)

The Saturday morning celebration featured remarks and time capsule presentations from Roy Corby, general manager of Rivers Casino Portsmouth; Tim Drehkoff, chief executive officer of Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Rush Street Gaming; Senator L. Louise Lucas, President Pro Tempore, Senate of Virginia; Speaker Don Scott Jr., Virginia House of Delegates; Shannon Glover, Mayor of Portsmouth; Dr. Marcia Conston, President of Tidewater Community College (TCC); and Melissa Ramsey, director of community relations, Rivers Casino Portsmouth.

The sealed time capsule, which will be buried until January 23, 2073, near the casino’s water feature, encapsulates significant artifacts, including a groundbreaking shovel, ribbon-cutting scissors from the grand opening, items highlighting the casino’s one-millionth and two-millionth customers, and mementos from the casino's first graduating class of table dealers made possible through its partnership with TCC.

Five decades hence, when the capsule is opened, future generations will also find relics that celebrate other “firsts”— the signed bill authorizing casino gaming in Virginia from Senator Lucas, Virginia Senate's first woman and first African American President Pro Tempore; and a gavel from Speaker Scott, Virginia’s first Black speaker of the House of Delegates.

“Virginia boasts a rich history of pioneering achievements, and Rivers Casino Portsmouth is proud to join such a prestigious roster as the first-ever permanent casino in Virginia,” said Roy Corby, general manager, Rivers Casino Portsmouth. “We were delighted to have such trailblazing leaders join us to commemorate this milestone, as we send a message to the future about the origin of our world-class entertainment destination.”

Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover closed the ceremony with a proclamation declaring Rivers Casino Portsmouth a strong economic engine, a proud community partner, and a great place to work.

The history-making moment, which concluded with a celebratory lunch, kicks off a series of anniversary events that will continue in the week ahead, including Tuesday, January 23 — Rivers Casino Portsmouth’s official grand opening date.

Other upcoming events include live performances in The Event Center featuring Kool & The Gang (Jan. 20) and Parmalee (Jan. 27), gaming floor promotions and drawings (Jan. 23-26), and an anniversary t-shirt giveaway (Jan. 25). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit RiversCasino.com.

A Strong Economic Engine

With much fanfare, Rivers Casino Portsmouth opened its doors to thousands of enthusiastic guests on January 23, 2023 — committed to delivering a fun and exciting first-rate customer experience. The casino introduced a new industry to the region, creating 1,300 permanent jobs, with a focus on local hires.

With a $340 million investment, Rivers Casino Portsmouth has significantly boosted the local economy — generating over $42 million in state and local taxes within its first year. Importantly, the casino’s commitment to supporting local Virginia businesses, vendors, and suppliers has contributed approximately $10 million annually in new local commerce.

“Each Rivers Casino has made history in its own way, but only Rivers Casino Portsmouth has laid claim to ‘the first of its kind’ in the entire gaming jurisdiction,” said Tim Drehkoff. chief executive officer of Rivers Casino Portsmouth and Rush Street Gaming. “Opening the first permanent casino in the Commonwealth of Virginia will forever be part of Portsmouth’s narrative and of ours. We’re very proud of that.”

A Proud Community Partner

Along with its operating parent company, Rush Street Gaming, Rivers Casino prides itself on integrating seamlessly with its communities and serves as an ongoing partner in improving the quality of life in each of its host cities. Rivers Casino Portsmouth immediately embraced that culture of philanthropy and has dedicated over 1,000 volunteer hours and donated more than $861,000 to local nonprofit organizations.

On October 17, Rivers Casino Portsmouth participated in “Rivers Gives Day of Service 2023” — the company’s inaugural synchronized celebration of its longstanding community engagement where more than 6,000 Team Members across all Rivers Casino locations — in Pittsburgh, Pa.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Des Plaines, Ill. (Chicago area); Schenectady, N.Y.; and Portsmouth, Va. — dedicated their time to uplift their host communities.

As part of the casino’s first anniversary celebration, Team Members will participate in a service day on Tuesday, January 23, to support the Portsmouth Police Athletic League (PAL) and Portsmouth’s Safety Town, in collaboration with the City of Portsmouth Police Department.

“Rivers Casino Portsmouth has been a great asset to the local community, and we deeply value their ongoing partnership. The opening of the casino contributed to a drop in crime for the areas surrounding the property, thanks to the strong presence of security and surveillance inherent in casino operations, as well as the police substation located right on property,” said Chief Stephen Jenkins, Portsmouth Police Department.

In its first year of operations, Rivers Casino Portsmouth was named by VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads as a “Civic 50” honoree, for being one of the most community-minded companies in the region.

A Great Place to Work

Committed to employee excellence, Rivers Casino strives to ensure employees feel valued by providing an enjoyable and respectful workplace with competitive, family-sustaining wages and salaries, great benefits, and opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

In all markets, Rivers Casinos have been voted a “Best Place to Work” or “Top Workplace” by the Team Members who work there; and Rivers Casino Portsmouth recently joined those ranks — recently named a “2024 Best Place to Work” by CoVa Biz Magazine.

Rivers Casino Portsmouth will celebrate this accomplishment with Team Members during a company-wide appreciation event on Thursday, January 25, in the BetRivers Sportsbook.

With 1,300 permanent new jobs and already scores of internal promotions, Rivers Casino Portsmouth is always hiring. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in the rapidly expanding casino gaming industry are encouraged to visit RiversCasino.com for a list of open positions.

About Rivers Casino Portsmouth

Rivers Casino Portsmouth is a world-class destination—a $340 million local investment—located along Victory Boulevard, south of I-264. As part of Portsmouth’s New Entertainment District, the complex currently features a full-service casino, poker room, BetRivers Sportsbook, event and conference venues, premier restaurants, and more. Rivers Casino Portsmouth is Virginia’s first permanent casino and the latest addition to Rush Street Gaming, one of the fastest-growing casino and entertainment companies in the country. Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate successful casinos in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Des Plaines, Illinois; and Schenectady, New York. All Rush Street Gaming casinos, including Rivers Casino Portsmouth – have been voted a “Best Place to Work” or “Top Workplace” by their Team Members. For more information about Rivers Casino Portsmouth, including ongoing career opportunities, please visit RiversCasino.com.

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