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Construction of the Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia in Petersburg is on track, with major recent developments indicating that the $1.4 billion project is steaming on. The ambitious resort is being spearheaded by The Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprise. The development broke ground in March 2025 and is already creating tangible economic and social impacts in the city.
Petersburg Casino Development
Petersburg voters showed overwhelming support for the plan in a November referendum, with almost 80% backing the project. The endorsement allowed Cordish to reassign the casino license originally allocated to Richmond, where residents rejected similar proposals twice.
The Petersburg site is strategically located near Interstate 95 at Wagner Road, and is being touted as one of the most significant entertainment and tourism developments in the state’s history.
Lawmakers continue to debate the legalization of online casinos in Virginia, and many Virginians are opting to play outside state regulation through offshore platforms that provide instant access to secure games and bonuses.
However, the momentum of and excitement around the Petersburg land-based casino project shows that there is a large local demand for regulated gaming within state borders.
Temporary Casino To Open End Of 2025
A temporary 75,000 square-foot casino is set to open by the end of 2025, if lottery approval is received. The facility will feature 900 slot machines and 33 live-dealer table games. This interim casino will create immediate employment opportunities and begin generating tax revenue while the permanent Live! Resort is under construction.
The full casino resort is set to begin operating in 2027. The complex will feature 1,600 slot machines, 65 table games, a sportsbook, and a 200-room luxury hotel with 20 premium suites. Other amenities include eight restaurants, a pool, a fitness center, convention space, and a 4,000-seat theatre. It will put Petersburg on the map as a destination for leisure and business travelers.
Economic Boost For The Region
Early projections indicate that the resort will generate almost $10 billion for the regional economy over ten years. It will also create 7,5000 permanent jobs. Tax revenue generated will be used for essential public services like healthcare, education, park development, and affordable housing.
Cordish and Bruce Smith Enterprise have shown their commitment to the community by integrating the casino into local lives. Apart from the financial benefits, the project will include job training, internships, mentoring programs, and tuition payments to help residents with careers in hospitality and gaming.
Local businesses are also being involved. In July, the Peterburg Area Regional Tourism (PART) hosted a “Coffee & the Casino” roundtable. Local entrepreneurs, including hotels, restaurants, retail stores, and even florists, were invited to discuss partnership opportunities with the casino developers.
Vendor fairs earlier in the year also attracted businesses wanting to participate in the project. Cordish says these partnerships are important to ensure minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses benefit from the resort.
Dealer School Preparing Local Workforce
One of the current workforce initiatives is the partnership between Live! Casino Virginia and Richard Bland College. Together, they’re launching a 12-week dealer school that started on September 8, 2025. The program will train dealers in table games, starting with blackjack. There will also be a focus on game rules, responsible gambling practices, and customer service.
Interest in the program has been high. Participants must pay a small fee for a blackjack kit, which includes practice tools like a dealing shoe, chips, cards, and a layout that can be used on a table at home. According to the Director for Table Games, Brian Dwaileebe, this hands-on approach is more useful than coursework and prepares students to hit the casino floor running.
There are around 150 to 175 dealer jobs expected to be available, with the average salary, including tips around $60,000 per year. General Manager Penny Parayo said that those who graduate from the program will be qualified to work in gaming positions across the country, even if they don’t get a job at Live! Casino Virginia.
Establishing The Leadership Team
Along with the construction and the development of the future workforce is the establishment of the casino resort’s leadership team. In July 2025, Cheryl Brown was appointed Vice President of Marketing. She joins ranks with CFO Yanina De Vargas and Senior Vice President and General Manager Penny Parayo.
Brown has more than 25 years of industry experience. She has worked in Atlantic City, the Bahamas, and Hampton Roads where she was Director of Marketing for Cavalier Resort. She has been involved with Cordish Gaming for a few years, rising from Director of Loyalty Marketing at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland to VP of Loyalty Marketing, before accepting the role in Virginia.
The leadership team appointments are to ensure customer engagement through marketing, events, and entertainment. It is an important step currently as the casino progresses towards its launch.
In Conclusion: A Vision For Future Growth
Cordish has claimed that the project is not just a gaming venue. It is set to be a booster for community revitalization. The creation of jobs, local partnerships, education programs, and a tourism venue will likely have a positive transformative effect on Petersburg.
The countdown is now on for the opening of the temporary casino, which will already result in an economic shift. The permanent facility is one of Virginia’s most ambitious ventures in modern history, and shows the importance of regulated gaming projects in boosting local communities.
