This week, job seekers will line up at a Downtown Richmond hotel for work tied to a casino that will not be built in Richmond.

On Thursday, Dec. 18, Live! Casino Virginia will host a job fair from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Homewood Suites by Hilton on East Main Street, part of its hiring push for the casino project approved by voters in Petersburg. The irony is hard to miss. Twice, Richmond voters were asked whether they wanted a casino in the city. Twice, they said no thanks. 

Petersburg said bring it on. 

The different outcomes reflect two cities with distinct histories, economic pressures and appetites for risk. In Richmond, skepticism won out. Voters questioned whether promises of jobs and revenue justified the potential social costs and the long-term tradeoffs. 

Voters in the city of Petersburg, long burdened by disinvestment and limited options for large-scale economic development, viewed their proposal through a different lens. For many residents, the casino represents opportunity — an infusion of jobs, tax revenue and attention that the city struggles to attract. 

Now, Petersburg is moving forward and will watch as some Richmond residents apply for jobs tied to a project similar to one their own city rejected. Others will be watching, too, as Petersburg becomes a case study in how a casino can affect a community. If the development succeeds, some in Richmond may be tempted to reconsider. The odds may be long, but gamblers rarely walk away.