In the recent voter referendum, more than two-thirds of registered voters in Norfolk, Virginia approved a casino to be operated by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. Jay Smith, a partner at Capital Results which handles media relations for the Pamunkey Tribe, said “The casino is estimated to brin gin between $30 million and $40 million every year for the city to use for their schools, public safety, whatever priorities they want.”
Smith noted the new casino will hire 2,500 employees through an initiative called the Casino Minority Outreach and Hiring Plan, which focuses on hiring a local, yet diverse workforce. “I think that what sets this project apart is the actual operator. The tribe themselves is a minority group who has been left out of opportunities in the past. So as they look at this as an opportunity to improve the tribe, create a new revenue stream for the tribe, and also to improve the city, Norfolk, by making sure that the workforce reflected the community.”
The tribe will work with nonprofit workforce development organizations, local universities and community colleges to develop a program over the next year to train the workforce for jobs food and beverage service, housekeeping, hotel management, hospitality, internet security, accounting, marketing and information technology. “We want to make sure that people have those skill sets needed to succeed in those positions,” Smith said.
With the coming economic boost from the casino, Smith said the tribe will use revenue “to improve access to healthcare, job opportunities, educational opportunities for the members of their tribe, and to create revenue for the long-term success of their tribe.” He noted the reservation doesn’t even have high-speed internet. “I can’t do a Zoom call with the chief because of the lack of basic internet infrastructure there,” Smith said.
No opening date has been set but Smith said the tribe has commissioned architectural designs and started the permitting process. “We hope to break ground in the spring of 2021, so just several months away, with our goal of a completion date and opening by the end of 2022,” he said.
Norfolk is one of five cities authorized by the Virginia legislature to offer casino gambling. Richmond, Danville, Portsmouth and Bristol voters approved the casinos in the recent election. Developers of the $400 million Hard Rock Bristol Hotel & Casino had said they planned to open a temporary casino in the Bristol Mall while work proceeded on the permanent facility, expected to open in late 2022.
However, Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kevin Hall said staff attorneys are developing casino gaming regulations that won’t be finalized before April 22. “We think it is highly unlikely that even an operator seeking a temporary permit would actually be operating casino gaming until April 2022 at the earliest.” Hall said the casino legislation has a provision for a temporary casino but only after an applicant has been licensed and all background checks have been completed.
Hard Rock Chief Executive Officer Jim Allen commented, “There are no definitive plans of when a temporary casino could happen, but we certainly are receptive to the idea to obviously get people jobs and start creating some tax dollars and opportunities for local residents.” The Hard Rock Bristol project is projected to create up to 2,000 jobs and generate millions of dollars in annual tax revenue for Bristol, Allen said.
The Lottery Board’s goal is to develop “clear and reasonable regulations,” Hall said, adding, “We understand this is serious and important work, and we are focused intently on it. We want to get this right from the very beginning, and I am confident we are off to a strong start.”
