Virginia Lottery Board to review Boyd Gaming and Pamunkey Tribe’s Norfolk casino license

The Virginia Lottery Board will review Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe's application for a Norfolk casino operator license on October 29, the final step in a five-year regulatory window set by state law for casino approvals following voter referendums.

Under Virginia law, localities that approved casino referendums have five calendar years from certification to obtain an operator license. Norfolk voters approved the referendum on November 3, 2020, and the state certified the results on November 18, 2020.

“The final step is the Lottery Board votes and issues (a) license after a public hearing on the application review, one of which will happen next week,” Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones said during a recent legislative meeting.

The discussion took place on Monday during a meeting of the joint subcommittee studying the creation of the Virginia Gaming Commission, a proposed body that could assume oversight of casino operations currently managed by the Virginia Lottery.

Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe are seeking approval for their planned waterfront casino in Norfolk, a project scheduled to open in late 2027. The development includes a permanent facility and an interim gaming space that will operate while construction is underway.

Boyd plans to open the Interim Gaming Hall in November. The temporary structure, described as tent-like, will feature 130 slot machines and limited food and beverage options for patrons.

According to company officials, the full-scale project will include a 65,000-square-foot casino, a 200-room hotel, a parking garage, eight dining and beverage outlets, a spa, a fitness center, and an outdoor pool and cabana deck. Boyd Gaming said it expects to invest at least $750 million in the property, exceeding the state’s $300 million minimum requirement.

Ryan Soultz, Boyd Vice President of Governmental Affairs, and Pamunkey representative Kevin Krigsvold briefed lawmakers on the development plans ahead of the upcoming hearing.

“What we are bringing to Norfolk is a true destination resort,” Soultz said, as reported by The Virginian-Pilot.

The Norfolk casino project has undergone changes since its initial proposal in 2019, when the Pamunkey Indian Tribe sought city approval for a 500-room hotel and casino. Progress slowed in later years, and the tribe replaced its former development partner, billionaire Jon Yarbrough, with Boyd Gaming in 2023 after city approval of the project stalled.