Live! Casino Virginia Readying Temporary Gaming Facility, Dealer School
Posted on: August 4, 2025, 08:57h.
Last updated on: August 4, 2025, 08:57h.
- Live! Casino Virginia will open a temporary casino before the end of the year
- Richard Bland College will start its Dealer Institute next month
- Live! is a two-phased, $1.4 billion development
Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia is expected to assemble a permanent workforce of 500 employees in Petersburg.
With Live! marking Petersburg’s first casino development, trained table game dealers in the area are few and far between. For those who are interested in what Live! owner Cordish Companies says will deliver competitive pay, a 401(k) contribution, career advancement, and a friendly working environment, the casino will soon open a table game dealer school.
Through a partnership with Richard Bland College, Live!’s Dealer Institute will begin classes on Sept. 8. The school was originally slated to begin instruction today, Aug. 4.
The Sept. 8 introductory course is free for the first 100 participants, though enrollees must purchase a blackjack kit for $129. To qualify, a person must be at least 21 years old, have a high school diploma or GED, pass a drug test, and be able to obtain a gaming license, which includes a background check.
Graduation from the 12-week course does not guarantee employment at Live! or any other casino in Virginia. The Richard Bland College Dealer Institute website says entry-level dealers earn between $50,000-$60,000 a year, including salary and tips.
Temporary Casino Construction Update
Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia is a $1.4 billion two-phase development that city voters in Petersburg authorized last fall through a local ballot referendum.
The first phase, with a $600 million budget, is to construct a 200-room hotel and resort with a casino floor offering 1,600 slot machines, 60 table games, and a sportsbook. Eight restaurants, a pool complex and fitness center, convention space, and a 4,000-seat theater are also in the works.
While the permanent resort casino isn’t to open until 2027, Live! is readying a temporary gaming space that Cordish reps say will commence before the end of the year. The interim casino will feature about 900 slots and 33 tables in a 75,000-square-foot facility.
Cordish projects it will need around 200 full-time table game dealers once the entire property is up and running.
Dealer Institute grads will be able to seek employment not only at Live! Virginia, but also the state’s other casinos, including Rivers Casino Portsmouth, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, and Caesars Virginia in Danville. Boyd Gaming is additionally developing a casino in Norfolk.
The Rose Gaming Resort in Dumfries is not allowed to include live dealer table games. The facility offers slot-like historical horse racing machines.
State Gaming Market Taking Shape
Virginia’s casino industry is growing year by year, with slot and table game win reaching a monthly high of $85.4 million in May. With two more casinos coming, further growth is almost certain.
There are also efforts continuing in the Richmond capital to allow a casino to open in Northern Virginia, which would keep gaming money from flowing north into Maryland. Northern Virginia is among the wealthiest regions in the country, though there is significant opposition to allowing a Las Vegas-like resort in Fairfax or Arlington counties.
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