Live! Casino Petersburg Vendor Fair Fields Strong Turnout From Local Businesses

Posted on: April 11, 2025, 12:33h. 

Last updated on: April 11, 2025, 09:09h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia reps met with local businesses
  • Area vendors and contractors pitched the forthcoming casino to include their products and services
  • Live! Virginia is a $600 million project

Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia in Petersburg held a vendor fair this week where hundreds of local business owners made their pleas as to why their products and services should be included in the forthcoming entertainment destination.

Live! Casino Virginia Petersburg vendor fair
A rendering of Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia. The casino resort planned for Petersburg recently held a vendor fair to field product and service bids from local companies. (Image: The Cordish Companies)

On Wednesday, officials with the Live! Casino development welcomed area vendors and service providers specializing in construction/trades, furniture, engineering/facilities maintenance, office and computer supplies, professional services, security, janitorial, and food and beverage to showcase their offerings. 12 On Your Side, a local NBC News affiliate, reported that more than 700 vendors pitched their businesses and services to casino reps.

From ice cream and crepes to construction materials, a slew of businesses made their proposals in what was reminiscent of a marathon episode of “Shark Tank.”

Our DNA is to always do business in the communities we do business in — it’s mutually beneficial. It’s also the right thing to do,” said Joe Billhimer, Cordish Gaming’s chief operating officer.

“All of these vendors represent hundreds of other jobs that will be created as a result of what we’re bringing to the Petersburg community,” Billhimer added about the ancillary jobs that selected contractors will create.

Jason Buckley, who owns a tile company northwest of Petersburg in Powhatan County, says he does a fair amount of commercial and residential work, but winning a bid for the Live! development would be “life-changing.”

Cordish had many reps on hand during Wednesday’s vendor fair to field pitches for products and services. The company says the presentations will be reviewed internally and companies the casino is possibly interested in working with will be contacted in the coming weeks. 

Casino Development Team Forming 

The Cordish Companies, a Baltimore-based gaming and hospitality firm, operates casinos in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. Virginia is set to become Cordish’s fourth gaming state when Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia opens in 2027.

Cordish and its Petersburg partner, Bruce Smith Enterprise, have proposed a $1.4 billion mixed-use development off Interstate 95 at Wagner Road.

The first phase is a $600 million investment to open a casino resort with 1,600 slot machines, 61 live-dealer table games (including 15 poker tables), a sportsbook, and a 200-room hotel. Eight restaurants, a resort pool and fitness center, a convention hall, and a 4,000-seat theater highlight the resort’s amenities.

Cordish already has its general contractor in place with AnderCorp. The construction giant recently completed Cordish’s overhaul of Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana in Bossier City. AnderCorp’s other gaming projects include Bally’s Quad Cities in Illinois, the outdoor gaming patio at Bally’s Shreveport, and several lounges and high-limit areas at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in Mississippi. 

Cordish Expansion

Cordish remains bullish on the brick-and-mortar commercial gaming industry. Along with its initial $600 million commitment to Petersburg, the Live! casino operator spent $270 million in renovating the former Diamond Jacks riverboat in Bossier City into a new land-based casino destination.

The project included a full renovation of the property’s 549-room hotel, outdoor pool complex, and a new land-based casino that houses over 1,000 slots and 40 tables.

Cordish is opposed to iGaming legislation and continues to lobby state lawmakers against online casinos.