Sneak peek inside Petersburg's tent casino
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The tent casino is tiny compared to what will open in 2027. Photo: Karri Peifer/Axios
Axios Richmond got a sneak peek this week of the Petersburg casino ahead of its opening next month.
Why it matters: Live! Casino Virginia in Petersburg is likely the closest Richmonders will get to a full-scale casino after local voters twice rejected opening one in town.
State of play: The Petersburg casino is from Baltimore-based gaming group The Cordish Companies and Virginia Beach-based real estate firm Bruce Smith Enterprise.
- The project is in the works just off I-95 on Wagner Road, a solid 30-minutes south of Richmond, and has been in development since Petersburg voters overwhelmingly approved it last year.
- Just like the casinos in Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk, the one preparing to open in Petersburg is temporary, rising in a massive tent as work continues on the permanent structure.
- While the exterior might seem flimsy, inside it's all Vegas-style casino, complete with garish carpet, whirling games and, very soon, the sounds of slots spinning.
Zoom in: The temporary casino is in a 75,000-square-foot tent and will have:
- 🎰 900+ slot machines
- 🃏 30+ gaming tables
- 🎲 One "high limit" better sections
- 📺 Dozens of TVs
- 🍻 One quick service restaurant and bar
- 🅿️ 1,000+ free parking spaces
- 💪 And will employ over 500 people, including 100+ card dealers
Zoom out: If that seems like a lot, it's nothing compared to the permanent casino that's taking shape on the same 100-acre site as the tent. That will have:
- 1,600 slot machines
- 60+ gaming tables
- A poker room, high-limit room and a sportsbook
- A 200-room hotel
- 70,000 square feet of meeting and entertainment space
- All in 445,000-square-feet
What's next: Live! Casino Virginia, the tent version, will open on Jan. 22 (pending state gaming board approval).
- The permanent version with the hotel and resort should open by the end of 2027.