Joyce Jackson was eager to get inside the sprawling Rivers Casino Portsmouth on a recent weekday. Nor was she reticent to express her opinion about the full-scale gaming center that opened early last year. It’s one of five casinos that’s already operating or being planned across the commonwealth.

“I love it!” said Jackson, 76, who lives in nearby Norfolk and visits the casino in Portsmouth at least twice a month. A large digital billboard on the building promoted the upcoming appearance of comedian Tracy Morgan, an alumnus of “Saturday Night Live” and “30 Rock.”