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Live Casino Virginia outlines temporary opening, local hiring and responsible-gaming plans for Petersburg site
Summary
Operator representatives told the Virginia Lottery Board the temporary Petersburg casino will open imminently with about 900 slot machines and 32 table games, highlighted workforce and training partnerships and described a responsible-gaming program; they also previewed a larger permanent development and master-plan vision.
Representatives of Live Casino Virginia and the Cordish Companies presented plans at the Virginia Lottery Board's Jan. 14, 2026 special meeting, describing an imminent temporary opening and a multi-phase permanent development for a site in Petersburg.
"We broke ground in March 2025, and in less than a year we are ready to open the doors to our temporary casino," said Penny Parayo, vice president and general manager of Live Casino Virginia. She described the temporary facility as a sprung-structure operation with about 900 slot machines and 32 live-dealer table games, food-and-beverage options and a high-limit area.
Trish Tuck, vice president of human resources, said the operator had hired more than 600 team members for the temporary facility with over 50% coming from Petersburg and the Tri-Cities area and projected more than 1,400 permanent jobs at full build-out. "The average earnings is about $60,000 per year," she said while describing starting wages and benefits; she also described workforce partnerships including a dealer training program with Richard Bland College and hospitality curriculum work with regional community colleges.
Cordish Companies representatives described the firm's development and operating track record for mixed-use entertainment districts and previewed the permanent Petersburg master plan, which the applicant said would include hotel rooms, restaurants, a sports book concept, convention and meeting space and other mixed-use development opportunities. The operator said permanent construction would occur after the temporary facility and estimated a roughly $600 million project cost in the lottery's preliminary materials.
On responsible gaming, Keith Huddlian, executive vice president and general counsel, said Live's plan follows AGA codes and industry best practices and includes an "excluded from one, excluded from all" policy across properties, staff training requirements, on-site information and public advertising that includes helpline information, and collaboration with Virginia treatment and support agencies.
Board members asked about the general contractor and public safety. The operator said their primary general contractor is Ander Corp, which is partnering with a local Davis firm, and emphasized a local and minority-business participation target (the presentation said the project is tracking at about 33% SWaM/SWIM spend). On security, company representatives said they would use a mixture of surveillance technology, weapons-detection approaches, undercover personnel and coordination with local police but declined to provide operational specifics in the public meeting.
The Lottery Board approved the applicant's license later in the meeting; operator representatives said approval will allow them to proceed with the permanent development timetable.
