Virginia casinos post $63.6M in revenue for November, driven by Hard Rock's permanent casino opening

Gaming revenues from Virginia casinos totaled $63.6 million in November, according to the Virginia Lottery's latest report on gaming activity. There are three operating casinos in Virginia: Hard Rock Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, and Caesars Virginia.

A total of $13.3 million in taxes was paid to the Gaming Proceeds Fund as a result of gaming activity. Hard Rock Bristol posted $18 million in gaming revenue for the month, while Rivers Casino Portsmouth delivered $25 million and Caesars Virginia saw $19.7 million.

The Virginia Lottery Board approved the casino license for Rivers Casino Portsmouth in November 2022 and the property opened to the public on January 23, 2023, becoming the state's first full casino. Meanwhile, the Caesars Virginia license was approved in April 2023 and the temporary facility in Danville opened to the public on May 15, 2023.

Hard Rock Bristol, whose license was approved in April 2022, with the temporary facility on the site of the former Bristol Mall opening to the public on July 8, 2022, saw its permanent casino open on November 14, 2024. The milestone greatly contributed to the latest revenue report.

In its transitional first weeks of operation, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol recorded the highest adjusted gaming revenue since its predecessor began operations. The $18 million in adjusted revenue for the month of November shattered the previous record of $16.3 million set in March 2024.

The temporary Bristol Casino operated for just the first 10 days of the month — from Nov. 1 until 3 a.m. on Nov. 11. The full Hard Rock casino operated for the final 16 days of the month, marking its grand opening at noon on November 14. The property attracted 58,000 guests during its opening four-day weekend and over 100,000 total.

The former Bristol Casino space is being reconfigured as a non-smoking gaming area and poker room, which is expected to open in early 2025, reports Bristol Herald Courier.