Petersburg residents overwhelmingly approved the referendum to allow casino gambling in the city. The dye has been cast for the proposed $1.4 billion Live! Casino Resort to come into the southern end of the city.
Unofficial election results show 81% of voters in the city voted in favor of the casino. Among the 12,730 ballots cast, only 2,325 voted against the referendum. Only a small portion of ballots remain to be counted.
A rendering of the Live! Casino & Entertainment District in Petersburg is shown.
Each of Petersburg’s seven wards showed wide margins of approval, with between 77% and 86% of votes saying “yes.”
Mayor Sam Parham said the casino and entertainment district will be the largest economic development and tourism project in the city’s history.
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“The approval of the destination resort and casino in Petersburg marks a significant milestone for our city,” Parham said. “Voter approval follows a three-year journey on this transformative project that will bring positive change to Petersburg for generations.”
In April, Petersburg selected the Cordish Companies, partnering with NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, to develop the casino and resort project at a location off Interstate 95 and Wagner Road. They were among a group of five groups to propose a casino development.
It comes with the promise of 7,500 construction and permanent jobs, $240 million in city tax revenue over the first 10 years and $201 million in annual economic benefits after opening.
A first phase for the casino buildout calls for 1,000 slot machines, 23 table games, a 15-table poker room and a casino bar and restaurant to open within a year of the final approvals.
Upon full completion, Cordish expects to build 400,000 square feet of gambling, hotel and dining space; a 200-room upscale hotel; 1,600 slot machines; 46 table games; 15-table poker room; high limit slot and table areas; a 3,000-seater entertainment and meeting space; and eight upscale food and entertainment options.
“Today is a new day for residents of Petersburg,” said Zed Smith, chief operating officer for Cordish. “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.
“Thank you, Petersburg, for placing your trust and confidence in our team. We look forward to delivering results for you and being a part of this great community for decades to come.”
Petersburg’s will be Virgina’s fifth, and final, casino license allowed by the General Assembly in 2019 and 2020. Bristol, Hampton Roads, Portsmouth and Danville approved their own respective casinos by wide margins at a first referendum.
“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,” said Bruce Smith, co-developer and former Buffalo Bills and Virginia Tech defensive end.
Petersburg first attempted to jump into legislation to allow a casino referendum in 2021 when Richmond narrowly denied its first referendum for a casino. Richmond was ultimately given a second chance to approve in 2023, but it failed a second time by a much wider margin.
Sean Jones (804) 649-6911
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