Rivers Casino Portsmouth Fined $545K for Multiple Violations
One of three Virginia casinos, Rivers Casino Portsmouth has agreed to pay a total of $545,000 in two separate settlements with the Virginia Lottery related to violations of the state’s Casino Gaming Law over the past year.
One of those settlements, for $40,000, was reached in September, while a $505,000 fine was agreed to in May.
Underaged Patrons, Lack of Controls Cited in Settlements
According to The Virginian-Pilot, the Virginia Lottery reviewed alleged violations at Rivers Casino Portsmouth in September. Those violations included allowing underage individuals on the gaming floor last August.
That wasn’t the first time the Portsmouth casino had run into that issue. Earlier last year, Rivers Casino Portsmouth was fined $275,000 for the same offense.
The May settlement once again found that Rivers allowed underage individuals on its gaming floor in both December and January. However, these violations also included allowing voluntarily excluded players to enter the casino. In addition, the Virgina Lottery also cited a lack of controls over accounting, surveillance, revenue reporting, and table game operations.
The settlements allow Rivers Casino Portsmouth to avoid a formal hearing into these matters, and also state that there were no formal findings that determined whether the violations had merit. However, Rivers has now paid a total of $820,000 in fines to the state since the beginning of 2023.
“Rivers has cooperated fully with the Lottery’s inquiry into these matters, has taken corrective measures, and has developed a corrective action plan to ensure future compliance with the Casino Gaming Law and its related regulations,” the Virginia Lottery said, according to CBS affiliate WTKR 3.
Rivers Casino Portsmouth vowed to work to improve its compliance in the future.
“We take these matters very seriously and respect the decision of the Virginia Lottery,” said Rivers Casino Portsmouth General Manager Roy Corby.
“We have reviewed and revised procedures to help prevent a recurrence."
Virginia Home to Growing Casino Gambling Market
Virginia first legalized casino gaming in 2020, and Rivers Casino Portsmouth was the first permanent casino to open in Virginia, doing so in 2023. Caesars Virginia and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol are its competitors in the state's casino market, and business has been booming.
Last month, the Virginia Lottery announced that its three active casinos had brought in $62.7 million in May, a nearly 38 percent year-over-year increase over the 2023 total.
Those three casinos could have company coming in the city of Petersburg, which recently chose Cordish Companies as the developer of its own casino resort. That decision was met with controversy, with dueling accusations of pressure and impropriety between the Petersburg City Council and state legislatures.
Voters will have the chance to approve the casino plan in a ballot referendum taking place this fall.
