Virginia lawmakers recently passed a bill that would make Fairfax County, outside Washington, D.C., eligible to host a casino—a move county leaders say undermines local decision-making.
The bill was first introduced in 2023 by Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax and has since been supported by Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax. After years of debate and repeated stalling, lawmakers pushed the bill through during a weekend vote.
The proposed project would be a 1.5 million square-foot mixed-use development in Tysons, located within a quarter mile of the Silver Line Metro station, just outside the Beltway.
Caesars Entertainment, which operates a casino in Danville, Virginia has said it would be open to the Tysons opportunity.
Another company, Comstock, released a rendering last year of a casino project with apartments, performing arts venue, a five-star hotel, and more. Patch reported last week that Comstock has spent more than $3.5 million on lobbyists and political contributions to push the casino legislation, according to filings with the Virginia Department of Elections.
Surovell argues tax revenue from the casino will help increase funding for the county, providing more money for the state to invest in public safety, higher quality schools, and other public services.
He also suggested a casino would help counter population decline in the county.
On the other hand, local leaders including Fairfax County Chairman Jeff McKay are concerned about the state government overriding local authority and have threatened to decline to schedule the voter referendum required for the project to advance.
Tyson’s Stakeholder Alliance, an organization opposed to the project, argues that a casino would increase traffic and crime and hurt the community’s image. “Not a single community in Tysons has asked for a casino in our neighborhood,” the organization’s website declares.
Ultimately, the decision is left to Gov. Abigail Spanberger to sign or veto the bill.
