The Old Dominion State will open another casino later this week.
Live! Casino Virginia in Petersburg will open its doors to the public this Thursday, Jan. 22, at 5 p.m. Owned by the Cordish Companies, the temporary gaming facility features 75,000 square feet of Lucky Cola gaming space, 926 slot machines, and 32 gaming tables. It will also feature a high-roller room with progressive rewards starting at $50,000 .
Free parking and an on-site restaurant, Lucky’s Kitchen, will also be offered until the full permanent casino will be completed. Once completed in 2028, the property will feature a hotel and multiple restaurants, totaling close to 450,000 square feet.
The temporary casino has already created 500 jobs, including 180 live-table dealers. It also will implement a patron comps program through vouchers at 15 local businesses, which players can exchange at on-site promotional kiosks throughout the property.
The Virginia Lottery approved the casino’s license to operate last Thursday.
Fifth Live! Casino Property
This will be the fifth property operated by Live! Casino, a division of Cordish Companies, a Baltimore-based developer of entertainment districts.
Other sites include Hanover, Md., ,the flagship property which opened in 2012 between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.; Westmoreland County, Pa., a Pittsburgh suburb, which opened in November 2020; Philadelphia, which opened in 2021 next to Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field; and Bossier City, La., which will celebrate its one-year anniversary in February.
Petersburg, which is located 25 miles south of Richmond, received the rights to a casino license after voters in Richmond twice rejected efforts to build one. The Virginia General Assembly passed a bill approving the reallocation in 2024, and city leaders chose Cordish as the project developer shortly thereafter.
Voters in the city passed a referendum in November of that year with more than 80% support.
Financial Impact
The financial impact that the casino will bring to Petersburg and to the state is huge.
When dignitaries cut the ribbon at Thursday’s opening, the casino will hand over a check to the city for $15 million. During the first 10 years of the casino’s operations, Petersburg officials expect to receive about $240 million in revenue.
Last week, the Virginia Lottery released official figures for December on Virginia’s four operating casinos: Hard Rock Bristol, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, Caesars Virginia, and The Interim Gaming Hall Norfolk.
Gaming revenues totaled more than $86.5 million, with more than $19.8 million in taxes paid to the state’s Gaming Proceeds Fund.
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