RBC Partnership with Live! Casino & Hotel
For Immediate Release: March 20, 2024
Contact: Jesse Vaughan, Chief Communications & Marketing Officer/jvaughan@rbc.edu
Yesterday, on March 19, the City of Petersburg broke ground on the Live! Casino Resort & Hotel Virginia. Dr. Sydow participated in the groundbreaking ceremony as well. The $1.4 billion, 450,000 square-foot project set to be completed by 2027, is projected to generate billions in economic benefits, thousands of jobs and world-class entertainment for Petersburg and surrounding localities. In its first 10 years alone, the casino is projected to generate $2.8 billion in economic stimulus, as well as $240 million in tax revenues for Petersburg. A temporary gaming facility will open by the end of this year to immediately begin creating an estimated 500 new jobs, vendor opportunities and economic benefits for the city.
“Congratulations to Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham (’96) whose vision, perseverance and leadership led to this extraordinary win for Petersburg and the surrounding region,” RBC President Debbie Sydow said.
Following many months of deliberation, a draft contract between the RBC Foundation and the casino is expected to be executed early next week. The partnership will launch the Table Games Dealer Institute slated for this fall. The initiative will train more than 200 people on how to conduct table games such as Blackjack, Roulette and Baccarat.
RBC Vice President Kimberly Boyd, RBC Chief Enrollment Officer Justin May and others have dedicated considerable time to exploring this opportunity to deliver non-credit programming for the casino to support economic development in Petersburg and the surrounding region. Ultimately, the partnership advances RBC’s mission and goal to support educational programming that leads to high-paying jobs for members of our community.
The College’s primary role in the partnership is to lend support to the RBC Foundation by utilizing the Barn Theater and RBC staff to provide logistical support for the Table Games Dealer Institute. The casino will procure all instructors, equipment, supplies, participants and trainees.
