On Tuesday, November 5, Petersburg, Virginia voters approved plans for the Cordish Companies to construct a physical casino in their community.
Petersburg residents gained the chance to voice their support for a casino after Richmond voters twice opposed similar plans. With all precincts reporting Tuesday night, the proposal passed with 81.5% approval—10,265 votes in favor compared to 2,325 against, according to the secretary of state’s office. The Cordish Companies are now licensed to develop a Live! Casino in Petersburg.
In 2020, Virginia lawmakers legalized digital sports betting and designated five cities as eligible for physical casinos, contingent on local approval. So far, casinos have opened in Bristol (Hard Rock), Danville (Caesars), and Portsmouth (Rivers). Last week, Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey tribe also began work on a $750 million casino in Norfolk, set to open in late 2027.
Richmond was originally the fifth city approved, but voters there rejected the casino proposal in both 2021 and 2023, with 61% voting against it the second time. Following Richmond’s decision, lawmakers approved Petersburg as a potential site, and the city council awarded the license to Cordish in a no-bid process.
Path to Petersburg casino bumpy
The road to a Petersburg casino has been complex. After Richmond’s initial rejection, Petersburg officials began positioning their city as Virginia's fifth casino site. However, state legislators decided Richmond deserved another vote, forcing Petersburg to wait. By April, the Virginia legislature amended the gambling bill to include Petersburg.
Following this, the city faced a lawsuit from a union, arguing that the bidding process lacked transparency. Initially, Petersburg lawmakers invited proposals from potential casino operators, with Bally’s, the Cordish Companies, Penn Entertainment, Rush Street, and the Warrenton Group (in partnership with Delaware North) submitting bids.
Each company presented its proposal during a town hall on April 14. Shortly after, the city council met privately and ultimately chose a no-bid process, awarding the contract to Cordish, which had also previously bid for the Richmond project but wasn’t selected.
In July, the Petersburg City Council, along with the Virginia Lottery, approved the request for a referendum, securing the casino decision on the ballot.
Cordish plans to invest $597 million to develop a casino, hotel, and entertainment complex across 92 acres in South Petersburg, with the project set to be completed in two phases.
