Summary:
- Live! Casino Virginia opens Thursday, January 22, 2026, as a temporary facility with slots and table games.
- City leaders expect hundreds of jobs and an estimated $240 million a year in tax revenue.
- The casino lands in Petersburg after Richmond voters rejected similar proposals.
Virginia is getting ready to add another casino to the map this week, with Petersburg welcoming the state’s fifth gaming property when Live! Casino Virginia will open its doors on Thursday.
The debut, currently in the form of a temporary casino, will measure 75,000 square feet of gaming space, nearly 1,000 slot machines, 32 table games, plus a restaurant.
The project is owned and operated by The Cordish Companies, a Maryland-based firm that already runs several Live! casinos around the country.
Cordish plans to replace it with a permanent resort-style casino that is expected to open in 2028 and spread across roughly 450,000 square feet. The establishment will also include a hotel, an expanded gaming floor, and multiple dining options.
Petersburg became the home for the casino after Richmond voters turned down casino proposals twice. With a population of roughly 34,000, the city is much smaller than the state capital, but its location could prove important.
The city sits about 30 minutes south of Richmond and within easy driving distance for a metro area of about 1.3 million people. City leaders are betting that many of those residents will make the trip south.
Big Expectations
Statewide, the casino joins existing properties in Danville, Bristol, Portsmouth, and Norfolk. Virginia voters approved casino gambling and sports betting in 2020, with a cap of five casinos across the state.
City officials are counting on the project to deliver a major economic boost. Cordish estimates the temporary casino alone will create around 500 jobs, including about 180 dealer positions. At the opening ceremony, the company is expected to present Petersburg with a $15 million payment.
Longer term, local officials believe the casino could generate roughly $240 million per year in tax revenue, money that could reshape the city’s budget and development plans.
The Petersburg casino becomes the fifth Live! branded casino in the United States, with the company already operating properties in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana, with the most recent opening taking place in Bossier City in 2025.
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