Legislation that could pave the way for a casino in Fairfax County has cleared a major hurdle, passing the Virginia Senate by a 24-16 vote. The bill, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, would give the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors the authority to hold a voter referendum on allowing a gaming facility within the county, and now heads to the Virginia House of Delegates for further evaluation.
The proposal has sparked intense debate, dividing both lawmakers and residents. Supporters argue that a casino could bring vital revenue to the county, which is facing a $292.7 million budget shortfall due in part to declining commercial real estate tax revenue. Surovell noted the potential economic benefits, calling it “one of the most significant economic development bills” of the legislative session.
A 2019 study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission projected that a Northern Virginia casino could generate an estimated $155 million in statewide gaming tax revenue. While the study did not specifically examine Fairfax County, Surovell’s bill restricts any potential casino to the Tysons area.
Under the proposal, the facility must be located outside I-495, within a quarter mile of Metro’s Silver Line, and within two miles of an indoor mall measuring at least 1.5 million square feet. The casino must also be part of a larger mixed-use development with no less than 1.5 million square feet of commercial space.
Although no formal plans have been submitted, Reston Station developer Comstock Companies has proposed a casino as part of an entertainment district near the Spring Hill Metro station. The project would include residential apartments, a hotel, a 6,000-seat concert venue, a convention center, retail spaces, and an IMAX movie theater.
Several labor unions have backed the proposal after securing a labor-peace agreement with Comstock, ensuring union workers would be employed in the development.
However, opposition to the casino has been widespread, drawing objections from religious leaders, community groups, and national security professionals. The Virginia Faith and Freedom Coalition has warned of potential negative social impacts, while some defense and intelligence workers have raised concerns about security risks.
Surovell dismissed the security arguments, pointing out that Virginia has already legalized online sports betting and that the MGM National Harbor Casino in Maryland operates just across the Potomac River. “If our national security community is so vulnerable to this, we’re already screwed,” he said.
Senator Jennifer Boysko pushed back against Surovell’s claims, calling them “ludicrous.” She and several other senators, including Barbara Favola, Saddam Azlan Salim, and Adam Ebbin, opposed the bill, arguing that it lacked local support. They noted that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors did not request the legislation and that there has been no formal process allowing residents to weigh in.
Boysko, who represents parts of Reston, Herndon, Great Falls, and McLean, said that previous casino approvals in Virginia had broad community support, unlike the Fairfax proposal. “Every other time that we have voted to allow a casino, it has been with the support of people that represent that area,” she said.
Public opposition has been vocal. Favola’s office reported receiving over 5,000 emails against the casino, while Salim, who represents Tysons, said his office received approximately 1,300 emails and calls in the past two weeks, with nearly all expressing opposition.
Polls conducted by the Tysons Stakeholder Alliance indicate strong resistance among residents. A January survey found that 64% of likely voters in Fairfax County and 79% of Tysons respondents oppose a casino. More than 100 homeowners’ associations have also joined the opposition under coalitions such as the No Fairfax Casino Coalition.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has not taken an official stance but has questioned the necessity of a casino. A recent letter from the board pointed to inadequate state funding for schools as the primary cause of the county’s budget challenges, rather than a lack of economic development. Two supervisors, Walter Alcorn and Jimmy Bierman, have publicly opposed the bill.
Bierman criticized the bill’s passage, arguing that there has already been significant discussion at the local level, with clear opposition from residents. “Fairfax County residents don’t want this casino in the first place, and we don’t need a wasteful, costly, divisive referendum to figure that out,” he said.
Despite these objections, Senator Stella Pekarsky defended the bill, arguing that it merely allows Fairfax County residents to decide the issue for themselves through a referendum. “This has the potential to bring major economic development and much-needed diversification of revenue in Fairfax County, as well as 5,000 well-paying jobs,” she said.
