Rivers Casino Portsmouth Receives $545K in Fines Over Alleged Breaches

The popular gaming and entertainment destination in Portsmouth, Virginia, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, reportedly agreed to pay fines of more than half a million dollars after alleged breaches uncovered by the gambling regulator in the state.

The fine came from the Virginia Lottery, the gambling regulator in the state after an investigation alleged breaches of the operator’s license conditions. As announced by The Virginia-Pilot Business, Rivers Casino Portsmouth was fined a total of $545,000 under two settlements.

The aforementioned settlements specify that no official findings have been established in light of the alleged violations. However, the settlements were agreed to circumvent a formal hearing.

The first settlement which amounted to $505,000 was reached in May. The other one dated back to September, and it was at the cost of $40,000. In light of the settlements, the operator’s payments will benefit the commonwealth general fund. This is in line with the state laws in Virginia.

Roy Corby, the Virginia Lottery’s general manager, revealed that the gambling regulator takes any breaches of the established gambling regulations seriously. Moreover, he said that the Virginia Lottery has taken a proactive approach by implementing changes to the regulations to combat similar breaches in the future.

“We take these matters very seriously and respect the decision of the Virginia Lottery. We have reviewed and revised procedures to help prevent recurrence.“

Roy Corby, general manager at the Virginia Lottery

Currently, Rivers Casino Portsmouth offers more than 1,400 unique slot games. The casino provides a plethora of table games, a poker room as well as the Betrivers Sportsbook. In addition, players can enjoy electronic table games with different minimum denominations, while restaurants, bars and other amenities are also available.

Investigation Claims Underage, Self-Excluded Individuals Accessed the Gaming Floor

An investigation by the Virginia Lottery allegedly found that in December in January, underaged individuals were identified on the casino floor. Moreover, Rivers Casino Portsmouth allegedly permitted people on the gaming floor who had previously self-excluded from gambling activities. Those alleged violations ultimately resulted in the settlement made in May.

The older settlement, from September, was reportedly related to similar violations. The gambling regulator claimed that last summer, in August, it also uncovered underaged individuals on the gaming floor. The investigation resulted in the second settlement at $40,000.

Again, last year, Rivers Casino Portsmouth was subject to another fine for the same offense. At the time, the casino faced a monetary penalty of nearly $300,000.