Virginia’s Casino Industry Skyrockets as Two Massive Resorts Take Shape

Virginia’s casino industry is bracing itself for yet another record year as gaming revenue keeps climbing and construction advances on two major casino resorts. 21% YoY Increase The Virginia Lottery, responsible for regulating casino gaming and online sports betting in the commonwealth, shared that the state’s five brick-and-mortar casinos generated close to $102.5 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR) in July 2026. The amount signaled an 11% increase from June and a significant 21% rise compared with July 2025. The year-over-year increase was partly driven by the addition of two temporary casino properties: the Interim Gaming Hall in Norfolk, which opened in November 2025, and Live! Virginia’s temporary casino, which started operations at the start of 2026. The state also collected more than $13.5 million in casino taxes in July, up from $11.1 million during the same month last year, with host cities separately receiving between 6% and 7% of monthly casino revenue through local gaming taxes. Norfolk Casino, on Schedule The expansion is set to continue as Boyd Gaming progresses with construction of its planned $750 million casino resort in Norfolk, developed in partnership with the Pamunkey Indian Tribe. Ron Bailey, who will soon be named general manager, commented on the development earlier this week, saying: “This is really happening. This is a great, large, privately-funded venture that’s going to really drive some economic development, not just for this property, but in the whole area and the whole community.” The permanent resort, built next to Norfolk’s Minor League Baseball Harbor Stadium along the Elizabeth River, will feature a 200-room hotel, a 45,000-square-foot amenity deck and pool, eight restaurants and bars, 13,000 square feet of meeting space and a 1,000-space parking garage. The casino itself is expected to host no less than 1,500 slot machines (from 132 now), 50 table games and a sportsbook. Construction is currently on time and on budget, with the resort targeting an opening in late 2027. Petersburg Casino Also Expanding Meanwhile, Cordish Companies is making progress on the permanent Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia in Petersburg. The $600 million project is planned to include approximately 1,600 slot machines, 60 table games and a sportsbook when it opens, also targeted for late 2027. The temporary Live! Virginia casino currently operates with 926 slot machines and 32 table games. Cordish has also outlined additional mixed-use development plans for Petersburg if the casino resort performs successfully. With both permanent resorts moving toward completion, Virginia’s casino market could see another substantial increase in gaming capacity by the end of 2027.