Petersburg Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Cordish Casino Proposal

^{The Cordish Companies won the approval of Virginia voters to move forward with their plans for a Live! casino-hotel in the historic town of Petersburg. (Image: Associated Press)} 

The voters of Petersburg, Virginia have approved a referendum that will allow for a $1.4 billion casino complex to be built in their city by the Cordish Companies and Bruce Smith Enterprise.

Unofficial results on Wednesday showed that 81.5 percent of voters were in favor of permitting casino gaming in the city, with just 18.5 percent opposed out of 12,590 votes cast.

Petersburg Becomes Fifth Casino Host in Virginia

Developers say that the complex, which will be known as Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia, will include more than 1,000 slot machines, a 200-room luxury hotel, and a 3,000-seat entertainment venue, among other amenities. The development will be located on a 92.5-acre plot of land off Wagner Road in southern Petersburg.

“It’s really gratifying,” Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham told reporters at a watch party on Tuesday night. “It’s showing what can happen when the mayor and City Council come as a unit. It shows what unity can do in building a city and turning a city around.”

Petersburg will now be the fifth casino host city in Virginia, joining Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, and Portsmouth. Richmond was initially targeted as a host city, but voters turned down that opportunity in a 2021 referendum. 

That led Portsmouth officials to seek the opportunity to replace them, a battle that was initially lost. But when Richmond again rejected a casino in 2023, Petersburg was given a new opportunity. While the process of choosing a developer raised controversy and accusations of a lack of transparency, support for the casino never appeared to seriously waver in the city.

Developers Promise Large Economic Impact for City, Region

News of the overwhelming victory was received warmly by former NFL star and Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, owner of Bruce Smith Enterprise.

“We are deeply gratified by the community’s affirmation of this project and very hopeful about the meaningful impact it will have on the city’s future,” Smith said in a statement. “The casino will not only create good-paying jobs for our residents but will also attract visitors statewide and beyond, stimulating local businesses and in turn producing an overall ripple effect of economic growth.”

The promise of economic growth has been a key selling point from proponents of the Petersburg casino. Developers say that more than 7,500 jobs will be created by the construction and operation of the casino, with Petersburg receiving an estimated $240 million in tax revenue over the resort’s first decade of operation.  

“Today is a new day for residents of Petersburg,” Cordish COO Zed Smith said in a press statement. “This community has waited a long time for an economic development project of this size and scale, which will provide a huge boost for the city and the entire region.”

While a full construction timeline is unavailable, as the developers will still need to secure all necessary approvals, they have promised that a temporary venue will be operating one year after construction begins, with an anticipated opening date of sometime in 2026. That temporary casino will feature a minimum of 1,000 slot machines, 23 table games, and a 15-table poker room.