Ceremony Held Wednesday for Under-Development Norfolk Casino

A ceremony will be held to celebrate a yet-to-be-built casino next to Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia.

The casino was approved earlier this year after local voters approved the idea back in 2020. The project must be completed by November 2025 according to the plan approved by voters.

The ceremony will feature representatives from the owner and operator of the casino, the development team, and Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander.

Celebrating long-awaited progress

The Norfolk City Council in September approved a proposal submitted by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Boyd Gaming. 

Among the many features, the casino-resort will include 200 hotel rooms, 1,500 slot machines, 50 table games, eight bars and restaurants, a pool deck, a spa and fitness center, meeting rooms, and a parking garage. 

“We are pleased to take this important step forward in helping the Pamunkey Indian Tribe realize its vision of a best-in-class gaming resort,” Boyd Gaming CEO and president Keith Smith said after approval was granted. “The greater Norfolk area is one of the largest underserved gaming markets in the mid-Atlantic region, and represents a compelling opportunity to further expand and diversify our Company’s nationwide presence.”

Wednesday’s ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. ET. It will commemorate the official beginning of the casino development phase. 

The Pamunkey Tribe and Boyd Gaming also received approval to build a temporary casino to meet the November 2025 deadline while the full-fledged facility is under construction.

Pushback from the anti-smoking crowd

The economic impact of the $500 million property is expected to generate $290 million in revenue and $30 million in taxes annually. It will also create more than 800 jobs once it is completed.

While many are anticipating the opening of the casino, a group of anti-smoking advocates are pushing back on the current plans.

Previous versions of the casino proposal suggested that the facility would be entirely non-smoking. However, the approved framework will allow smoking for visitors.

Norfolk city attorney Bernard Pishko said that developers believed they would lose money if they did not allow smoking inside the casino.

“No worker should ever have to choose between their health and a paycheck, but that’s exactly what will happen when this casino opens,” said Juana Wilson, a former employee at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth and member of the Virginia branch of Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (C.E.A.S.E.) in a statement.

“Casinos are the only places in Virginia where you can still smoke indoors, and casino workers bear the brunt of that decision.”

C.E.A.S.E. is imploring the Pamunkey Tribe and Boyd Gaming to reverse their smoking plans, following a trend of action against smoking inside casinos also seen in areas such as Atlantic City.