PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- The Virginia Lottery Board approved a casino facility operator's license for Petersburg's new casino on Wednesday, with a supervised dry run taking place the following week before the casino officially opens. Live! Casino Virginia gave 8News and other outlets a final look inside the temporary facility before the grand opening on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. Hundreds of the newly hired security guards, bartenders and table dealers were there wrapping up their training, preparing to welcome casino goers in just seven days. President of Cordish Gaming Group Rob Norton said the casino extended more than 600 job offers, surpassing their staffing goal of 500. More than 100 of those were graduates from the company's Dealer Institute, which trained table dealers at Richard Bland College. One of those graduates is Rico Clavon. "I definitely like to try new things," Clavon said. "Definitely was like, one of the best students." "At first I just wanted to see it as a part time job," Clavon said, dealing out cards and stacking chips. "But eventually, the more I started getting involved in it, it definitely started helping me master my craft." The employees won't be the only ones cashing a check from the casino. The city of Petersburg will get $15 million from it in 2026 alone. That's on top of any tax revenue. "Over our first ten years, when you combine both the temporary and the permanent, I think our estimate is about $240 million of value to the city of Petersburg," Norton said. Local businesses may be stacking their chips as well. More than a dozen have partnered with the casino to give players rewards vouchers they can spend at nearby coffee shops, breweries or stores. The list includes Resist Booksellers, Cindy's Gift Shop, Escape Olde Towne, Ashton Creek Vineyard, and Cool Beanz Cafe. "We want to be able to also tie in the community, to have patrons get to know the region," Vice President of Marketing Cheryl Brown said. "No better way to do that than is to have a partnership with the businesses in Petersburg and in the growing region." According to a Virginia Lottery release, the board unanimously approved the PPE Casino Resorts Petersburg, LLC application for licensure on Wednesday, Jan. 14. for Petersburg Live! Casino. This approval comes after the board reviewed the organization's application materials and performed what the Virginia Lottery referred to as "an extensive background investigation." Norton said this is a conditional license, pending a test run and audit next week. As of December 2025, construction on the permanent casino and resort is still in progress and is expected to finish toward the end of 2027. 8News got a look inside the casino's temporary facility back in December as well. The finished casino facility will open at a location near the intersection of Interstate 95 and Wagner Road. ...read more read less