The Virginia Lottery Board approved a gaming license Wednesday for a long-planned Norfolk casino project.
In a series of unanimous votes, board members approved a gaming license application by the casino owners Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe.
The votes give a statutory green light for Boyd and the tribe to open a still-unnamed casino and resort near Harbor Park in fall 2027. Additionally, the operators can open a temporary gaming hall in November.
In a news release, Pamunkey Indian Tribe Chief Kevin Brown said the license was a milestone for the tribe and its partners and a reaffirmation of its vision for job creation and economic success.
“With this step complete, we have taken a major step toward the realization of our vision of creating a best-in-market gaming resort in the city of Norfolk,” added Ron Bailey, the casino’s general manager, in the news release.
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In comments before the vote, board members said they were impressed with Boyd’s experience as a gaming operator and its commitment to working with the community through projects like workforce training partnerships with local colleges.
Ray Dunkle, Virginia Lottery deputy executive director of gaming compliance, also said a background investigation found no disqualifying factors for the casino operators.
In a prerecorded video, Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander said the casino would spur further economic development in Norfolk and across Hampton Roads. He also said local tax revenue from the project would support Norfolk schools.
The $750 million project will support 850 new jobs and within the first five years, create $1.2 billion in economic output and $187.6 million in gaming tax revenue, according to Boyd Executive Vice President of Operations Ward Shaw. Later in the presentation, the company estimated the casino would generate $2.9 billion over 10 years.
When Boyd joined the casino project in 2024, company leaders had major questions about the November statutory deadline, Boyd General Council Uri Clinton said.
“Could this happen?” Clinton said. “Did we have enough time?”
But Clinton said city staff and Alexander were able to negotiate a development agreement that made sure Boyd had a high chance to be successful.
The full casino will include a 65,000-square-foot gambling hall, a 200-room hotel and a parking deck. The presentation included a digital tour that showed off some of the first indoor renderings of the resort. Included were views of chandeliers above the gaming floor, a swanky hotel suite with an in-room pool table, smaller hotel rooms with marble bathrooms and fireplaces and a spa and pool deck.
Also included were renderings of some of the eight planned restaurants, including a steakhouse, gastropub, central gaming floor bar and a four-restaurant food hall.
The Interim Gaming Hall will have 130 slot machines on 3,600 square feet of gaming space in a tent structure with a total area of 7,200 square feet, Shaw said.
The casino plans have been delayed and scaled back since the Pamunkey tribe sought city approval for a 500-room hotel and casino in 2019. Last year, the Pamunkey tribe replaced previous development partner and billionaire Jon Yarbrough and brought Boyd Gaming on board after city approval of the project stalled.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com
