CASINO QUESTION ON BALLOT IN CITIES
Residents in Norfolk and Portsmouth face an important decision
It wasn’t long ago that the idea of the state opening up casino gambling seemed far-fetched.
Years and years of efforts to get the General Assembly to agree to allow gambling — including many spearheaded by Portsmouth state Sen. Louise Lucas — had been shot down.
But the federal recognition of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, which brought with it the ability to host some gambling on tribal land, and the subsequent announcement of the tribe’s intention to open a casino in Norfolk spurred nearly two years of wheeling and dealing in the General Assembly.
Ultimately, the state decided five cities could host casino gambling. But it mandated that any city looking to do so had to get the approval of local voters first.
So now, voters in Norfolk and Portsmouth will decide whether or not they want a casino in their city. The question will be listed on the same ballot where voters will make their picks for president, U.S. House, Senate and (in Portsmouth) local offices.
The language in each city is identical, except the reference to the specific location of the proposed casino.
In Norfolk, the Pamunkey Tribe has partnered with Tennessee billionaire John Yarbrough to build a hotel casino resort along the Elizabeth River, next to Harbor Park.
In Portsmouth, Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming has a spot picked out for a similar sort of hotel-casino complex at 3606 Victory Blvd., near the city’s Tidewater Community College campus.
The question voters will see on their ballots will read: “Shall casino gaming be permitted at a casino gaming establishment in
(city) at/on (property location), as may be approved by the Virginia Lottery Board?”
The votes have no bearing on one another: If voters in one city reject the referendum, casinos can still be approved and move forward in the other cities.
How to vote on the question is simple: a “yes” vote means “yes, I want this casino in my city.” A “no” vote means “no, I don’t want this casino in my city.”
The casino operators and advocates point to a litany of potential benefits for the community, including the infusion of hundreds of millions up front to build the casinos, plus millions in ongoing tax revenues and thousands of jobs.
In Norfolk, the Pamunkey tribe has claimed it will build a $500 million casino resort complex, which will include a hotel, dining and entertainment venues. Once up and running, the tribe said it will end up paying more than $26 million a year in city taxes just from gambling revenues and will employ 2,500 people.
In Portsmouth, Rush Street claims the tables and slots at its $300 million development will send $16 million annually to city coffers and will employ 2,000.
Local supporters have rallied behind the efforts, with some speakers at City Council meetings extolling the economic benefits and others excited at the idea that they won’t have to drive to another state to visit a casino.
Some opponents have pushed back, including some skeptical that the would-be operators are
over-promising on community benefits.
In Norfolk, opponents criticized how the city handled the Pamunkey deal, saying the process was rushed to limit study and public input. A petition effort forced the city to hold a pair of public hearings last year and reconsider the deal struck between the city and the tribe. That deal was altered in December after months of public pressure from citizens and the release of a state report forecasting that a much smaller-than-advertised casino was likely in Norfolk.
Restaurant owners in downtown Norfolk have also worried the proposed casino complex, which is planned to include several restaurants, will draw business away from downtown.
Scholarship on the local impacts of casinos is mixed and a ton of variables can determine whether a casino is a net benefit to the community. One key concept cited by economists that’s yet to be seen: the ability of local casinos to draw visitors from outside the region.
Both of the proposed local operations have marketed themselves as major new tourist draws.
A state report published last year, before the legislation had been passed and the most recent iterations of the casino plans were unveiled by the hopeful operators, expected about 10% of visitors to Portsmouth and Norfolk casinos to come from out of state. Those figures were based on the presumption of smaller casino projects than what is currently proposed.