Fifth Virginia Casino Will Open on Thursday With Live! in Petersburg

Virginia is home to four retail casinos… for only three more days.

Live! Casino Virginia in Petersburg will cut its ribbon at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, marking the opening of the state’s fifth land-based casino. The facility will serve as a stop-gap until the permanent location opens in what is estimated to be late 2027 or early 2028.

As part of the opening, the city of Petersburg will receive a $15 million upfront payment, as well as its cut of tax revenue generated from the location.

Ready for the grand opening

The Petersburg temporary facility is located near the intersection of I-95 and Wagner Road. Visitors will receive free parking and food service from Lucky’s Kitchen until the permanent location opens.

Inside the casino, patrons will enjoy 75,000 square feet of gaming space, stuffed with nearly 1,000 slot machines and 32 gaming tables. There’s also a high-roller room with progressive rewards of a minimum of $50,000.

Even though the location is only temporary, it will fall under the regulation of the Virginia Lottery, which approved the facility’s operator’s license last Thursday.

In addition to opening its doors for the first time this week, Live! Casino Virginia already partnered with 15 local businesses to handle comps for players.

“We have an antique place; we have a tea room; we have a vineyard; we have a wine shop; we have a pizza and beer; we have books; we have gifts,” said Cheryl Brown of the Petersburg casino.

The local stimulus also includes the one-time payment, which will process on Thursday.

“When we open the temporary casino, it will trigger our first payment of $15 million,” said Rob Norton, president of Live!’s parent company, Cordish Gaming.

The financial benefits

The temporary facility will be open 24 hours, seven days a week. Casino officials said the interior was designed to give the feeling of permanence so that customers feel comfortable and welcome to stay.

While the Virginia Lottery already granted the temporary operator’s license, the casino can expect a test run and audit before full operations begin at the permanent location.

Estimates project $240 million in revenue for Petersburg during the first 10 years of operations at the temporary and permanent locations.

“I think our location is unmatched in the state and, in many ways, across the Eastern Region,” Norton said.

Virginia reported $86.5 million in revenue and $19.8 million in taxes from the state’s four retail casinos during their first full month of operation in December, following the Nov. 7 opening of a Norfolk casino.

Petersburg’s casino will push those totals even higher, fueled by more than 80 percent support from local voters who approved the casino.