- Richard Bland College has trained over 150 casino dealers since 2025 through a direct partnership with Live! Casino Virginia.
- The curriculum moves students through major table games while building out the customer service and regulatory knowledge employers look for.
- A permanent Live! Casino resort on the books for 2027 keeps the search for trained dealers in the Petersburg area pointed upward.
PETERSBURG, Va. - Richard Bland College has quietly become a launchpad for casino dealer careers, turning out a steady line of floor-ready workers headed straight for Live! Casino Virginia.
Since its inception in 2025, over 150 people have completed the RBC Dealer Institute, and the fourth class is now enrolled. The January 2026 opening of Live! Casino Virginia, with over 900 slot machines and 30 table games, drove that momentum. The casino's launch created an immediate demand for qualified dealers, providing the RBC Dealer Institute with a clear objective and job pipeline.
Located just south of Richmond on a 750-acre campus, Richard Bland College has recently increased its emphasis on career-ready programs. The RBC Workforce and Career Readiness Center was established in September 2025 as a result of this initiative, with the goal of preparing adult learners for careers in a variety of industries, including healthcare, aviation, drone technology, and casino gambling.
Students do not need to enroll in a standard degree program in order to participate in the Dealer Institute, which is housed within that facility and uses a zero-credit course method.
Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Baccarat, and a number of poker-based games are all covered in the roughly six-week course. In addition to the games themselves, the training includes industry regulations, game integrity, customer service, and responsible gaming. This application provides a fairly clear picture for anyone who has spent time on Virginia blackjack sites and wondered what the job actually looks like from the other side of the table.
Starting pay for dealers at Live! Casino Virginia comes in around $75,000 annually once tips are factored in. Graduates can pursue jobs at casinos outside of Virginia after completing the program, providing them with employment opportunities that go well beyond the local market.
As Virginia's casino sector expands and legal blackjack becomes a more important part of the state's entertainment economy, it is expected that the demand for professional table game dealers will continue to rise. Live! Casino Virginia is still expanding. The number of open opportunities in the Petersburg area is expected to increase significantly when the casino opens a complete resort facility in 2027.
The next class starts on April 6th. Registration is available through Richard Bland College.