City of Portsmouth Announces Pre-certification Approval of Casino Gaming Partner

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Portsmouth, VA –  The City of Portsmouth is pleased to announce that their preferred casino gaming partner, Rush Street Gaming, has been pre-certified by the Virginia Lottery Board to operate a casino in Virginia. This approval is a necessary step in moving forward with a local referendum on gaming in November.

A Certification Packet was submitted to the Virginia State Lottery Board on Monday, June 1, 2020 in order to provide the necessary background, documentation, and support for the Board’s consideration.

“We are grateful for the Lottery Board’s diligence on this matter and for Virginia’s openness to a long-term partnership with our organization,” said Jacob Oberman, senior vice president of development for Rush Street Gaming. “Moving forward with the referendum is a positive step for Portsmouth and for the Commonwealth. We’re excited to bring new jobs, opportunities for local businesses and increased tax revenue to benefit the entire community.”

The Portsmouth City Council will vote on the Casino Gaming Referendum during the Thursday, July 16, 2020 Council Meeting, which will be held virtually.  Details on how to watch the Council meeting can be found at www.PortsmouthVA.gov.

“Pre-Certification by the Virginia Lottery Board is a vote of confidence by the Commonwealth’s experts on our choice of preferred partner, and we could not be more excited for the Rush Street team to begin their work getting to know Portsmouth voters,” commented Robert D. Moore, Director, Portsmouth Economic Development. “It is important for the citizens of Portsmouth to be involved in the process as we head towards November, and that they understand the full scope of the Entertainment District. We are ready for this next step.”

All public information of the Portsmouth Entertainment District is available at: https://www.accessportsmouthva.com/entertainment-district.

About Rush Street Gaming: Founded by Neil Bluhm and Greg Carlin, Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate successful casinos in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Des Plaines, IL (Chicago area) and Schenectady, NY. By placing an emphasis on superior design and outstanding customer service, Rush Street Gaming has become one of the leading casino developers in the United States. Existing casinos generate over $1 billion in annual gaming revenues, and all Rush Street Gaming casinos have been voted a “Best Place to Work” or “Top Workplace” by their team members.

About Portsmouth Economic Development: Portsmouth Economic Development (PED) works directly with business, education and government partners to build the foundation and advance the efforts of all residents, private and corporate, in the City of Portsmouth. PED helps businesses to start, locate and grow in Portsmouth by focusing on the advancement of strategic opportunities, by fostering the growth of within our target industries, preparing our residents for opportunities in those industries, and aligning our MWDBE businesses with as many opportunities to partner with larger organizations.