It is anticipated that Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia will hire 500 people permanently in Petersburg.

Since Live! is Petersburg's first casino, there aren't many skilled table game dealers in the region.  The casino will soon establish a table game dealer school for those who are interested in what Live! owner Cordish Companies claims will offer competitive salary, a 401(k) contribution, career progression, and a congenial working atmosphere.

Live!'s Dealer Institute, in collaboration with Richard Bland College, will start classes on September 8.  Originally, the school was supposed to start classes today, August 4.

For the first 100 people who sign up, the introductory session on September 8 is free; however, a blackjack kit costs $129.  A minimum age of 21 years, a high school graduation or GED, passing a drug test, and the ability to get a gaming license—which includes a background check—are requirements for eligibility.

Completing the 12-week course does not ensure a job at Live! or any other Virginia casino.  Including salary and tips, entry-level dealers make between $50,000 and $60,000 annually, according to the Richard Bland College Dealer Institute website.

Live Update on Temporary Casino Construction!  In a municipal ballot referendum last November, Petersburg city voters approved the $1.4 billion, two-phase Casino & Hotel Virginia project.

A 200-room hotel and resort with a casino floor with 1,600 slot machines, 60 table games, and a sportsbook is to be built in the first phase, which has a $600 million budget.  There are also plans for a 4,000-seat theater, a convention center, eight eateries, and a fitness center and pool complex.

Although the permanent resort casino won't open until 2027, Live! is preparing a temporary gaming area that, according to Cordish representatives, will open before the year is out.  The temporary casino will be a 75,000-square-foot establishment with roughly 900 machines and 33 tables.

When the entire property is operational, Cordish estimates that it will require about 200 full-time table game dealers.

Graduates of the Dealer Institute will have the opportunity to work at the state's other casinos, such as Caesars Virginia in Danville, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, and Rivers Casino Portsmouth, in addition to Live! Virginia.  In Norfolk, Boyd Gaming is also building a casino.

Table games with a live dealer are prohibited at the Rose Gaming Resort in Dumfries.  Historical horse racing machines that resemble slots are available at the venue.

The State Gaming Market Is Developing 

With a monthly high of $85.4 million in May for slot and table game wins, Virginia's casino business is expanding annually.  More expansion is all but guaranteed with two more casinos on the horizon.

In order to prevent gaming revenue from moving north into Maryland, the Richmond government is also working to permit the opening of a casino in Northern Virginia.  Although there is strong opposition to permitting a resort akin to Las Vegas in Fairfax or Arlington counties, Northern Virginia is one of the wealthiest areas in the nation.