Norfolk Casino Project Breaks Ground
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 30 for the Norfolk, Va. casino project spearheaded by the Pamunkey Indian Tribe and Boyd Gaming. Officials said at the ceremony that the project will cost $750 million, which is a much steeper estimate than was previously suggested. At the ceremony, anti-smoking advocates also gathered to protest the decision to allow smoking in the casino, after a smoke-free property was initially proposed.
As noted by WHRO, the project doesn’t actually have the requisite approvals to start construction but officials are confident those will come soon. “We wouldn’t be here kicking off the project if we were uncomfortable with where we were at,” Boyd President Keith Smith told the outlet.
The permanent casino project is expected to be completed by late 2027. Work will begin soon on a temporary casino, which will open next year to satisfy licensing requirements. Boyd stepped in as the tribe’s partner earlier this year after the project was stalled by setbacks and roadblocks for several years.
Caesars Virginia to Open by Year’s End
Caesars Entertainment and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians have confirmed that their Caesars Virginia permanent casino in Danville, Va. will open sometime in December. The $750 million casino resort will feature 1,400 slots, 80 tables, a sportsbook, a poker room, a 320-room hotel, a Gordon Ramsey-partnered restaurant, a 2,500-seat entertainment venue and more.
An exact date has not been announced. In advance of the opening, more than 100 job postings have been listed on the Caesars website. The hotel is currently accepting bookings for April and beyond. A temporary facility, Danville Casino, has been operating since last May.
The casino is expected to draw heavily from North Carolina, as it sits about three miles from the Virginia-North Carolina border. There have been efforts to legalize casinos in that state to stop the flow of tax revenue going to bordering jurisdictions, but little progress has been made thus far.
Dream Las Vegas Project Requesting Extension from County
The developers behind Dream Las Vegas, a 531-room hotel and casino project on the southeast side of the Las Vegas Strip, are requesting building permit extensions for the project. The Paradise Town Advisory Board voted in favor of a two-year extension Oct. 29, but that decision is non-binding as the matter now goes before Clark County officials next month.
This is the second time stakeholders have requested an extension for the project, with the first coming last year when construction was halted due to financing complications. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the developers are expecting to secure a new loan before the end of the year, with construction restarting thereafter.
“While it may not look like anything has been done, things like site grading, basement excavation, pile and foundations, plumbing and electrical, (and) foundation walls,” have been completed, a project representative told the board, per the Review-Journal.
Virginia: Locals Voice Opposition to Tysons Casino Efforts
Earlier this year, efforts to bring a casino to northern Virginia near Tysons were tabled as officials sought to learn more about the issue and the potential impact of a casino in the area. As the state prepares for a new legislative session, those efforts are widely expected to ramp back up.
In order for the casino to become a reality, it would need to be approved in both the state legislature and by Fairfax County voters. Proponents, including local unions, are arguing that such a development is needed to offset a dip in commercial real estate taxes. But opponents are saying they never voiced a desire for the project in the first place.
“I think it’s really unfortunate that we really need to have this conversation. People in the community have not expressed interest in having a casino. That’s not to say that casinos can’t add value in certain areas,” local resident Michael Davis told FOX 5 DC at a recent community meeting. “This community has not asked for one and because we’re not asking for one. The fact that we have to fight to not have one seems unfortunate and not a good use of time.”
Bellagio Expansion Proposal Pulled from Meeting Agenda
The Paradise Town Advisory Board (PTAB) was slated to consider the design plans for a significant expansion of the Bellagio but the matter was pulled from the agenda at the last minute, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Oct. 29. This is the second time the proposal has been withdrawn from consideration, with the first coming back in July.
Known as Project Mojave, the expansion would add about 400,000 square feet of non-gaming space near the property’s entrance on Las Vegas Blvd. The space will include new retail, dining and entertainment amenities. The property is also seeking to replace its freestanding sign with a 5.905-square-foot LED sign and add a bridge to connect it with the nearby Cosmopolitan.
Any PTAB decision would be non-binding but it must be heard there first before proceeding to the Clark County Zoning Commission.
NV Revenue Jumps 3 Percent in September Thanks to Downtown LV, Locals
Figures released Oct. 29 by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) showed that the state tallied $1.31 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for September, a year-on-year increase of 3.3 percent. This growth was attributable to the Las Vegas locals market and downtown, not the Strip.
NGCB data showed that downtown Las Vegas tallied $91 million in GGR for September. That represented a 33 percent increase from last year, the highest jump from any Nevada market. The Las Vegas locals sector brought in $156 million, up 15.8 percent from a year ago.
The combination of the ancillary markets helped soften the fact that the Strip reported its third straight monthly decline. Its total of $727.6 million was a year-on-year drop of 1.8 percent. Overall, the Strip is down 7.2 percent from this point last year, the worst of any market. The state overall is 2.6 percent off from its record-breaking pace from this point a year ago.
Among the highlights of the report was the strength of the state’s sports betting numbers. Statewide sports betting GGR was $80.8 million, up 30 percent from a year ago. For FY24 so far, state sportsbooks have generated GGR of $131.6 million, a 25 percent bump from this point in 2023.
Circa Completes 100-Room Expansion
Downtown Las Vegas’ Circa Resort & Casino has completed a nine-month expansion that added 106 rooms to the property’s footprint. That brings the total room inventory to 618. Originally opened in December 2020, the casino also unveiled a ballroom and meeting space in 2022. There are also three additional floors set for future development.
“I thought downtown needed more high-end hotel rooms when we were designing Circa and the rooms filled up,” Circa CEO Derek Stevens told the Las Vegas Review-Journal Oct. 29. “I think downtown could still use a lot more hotel rooms. I’m excited about what’s going on next to us.”
Saracen Casino Tops Off Hotel Tower
The final beam has been placed atop the 320-room hotel tower at Saracen Casino Hotel in Pine Bluff, Ark. The 15-story hotel, which also features an event center, is slated to open next fall. The casino opened in 2020.
“The hotel provides another amenity for folks who like our non-gaming offerings. But it also will mean more folks coming from out of state,” Saracen CMO Carlton Saffa told KATV Oct. 28.
