Michael O’Connell, Patch Staff
TYSONS, VA — A former Republican congressman called on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to reject State Sen. Dave Marsden’s (D-Burke) proposed legislation that would clear the way for a casino to be built anywhere in the county.
U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, who represented Virginia’s 10th District from 1981 to 2015, also asked the supervisors to tell Marsden to withdraw the legislation before the start of the 2025 General Assembly session in January.
“I would also recommend that you share Senator Marsden’s casino plans and your opposition to those plans with your constituents,” he said in his letter. “We need as many voices as possible speaking up against a casino in Reston, Tysons, or elsewhere in Fairfax County.”
Wolf said he was aware of all the arguments for and against building a casino in Fairfax County, which is currently proposed for Tysons. He also had heard the arguments by county leaders that if they voiced strong opposition to the legislation, it could prevent the county from achieving its legislative goals, and result in more state restrictions on the county’s legislative authorities.
“I sincerely doubt that either would happen, particularly if we stand united regionally,” Wolf wrote. “I expect that down-state legislators would know of the power of our local delegation and would not want to set precedents that could come back to bite them.”
Patch reached out to Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay (D-At Large) and Marsden requesting their comments on Wolf’s letter. Marsden replied that he had no comment. McKay’s response will be added to this story once it is received.
Read the full text of Frank Wolf’s letter.
Marsden’s primary justification for a casino being built in Tysons is that it would diversify the county’s revenue stream so it wasn’t so dependent on the real estate tax. That would mean the county wouldn’t be forced to raise the real estate tax rate or reduce services.
Wolf said Marsden was “dead wrong” on that point.
“Casinos do not grow local economies and are not the answer to balancing local budgets,” he said, in his letter. “In fact, casinos do considerable damage to local businesses.”
Wolf added:
“The tax revenue data reported by state tax and gaming authorities in states that have hosted casinos for years is clear: In the first few years, tax revenues increase in both real and inflation-adjusted terms. But over time, the inflation-adjusted tax revenues are flat or trend downward. This is true, for example, in nearby Pennsylvania, which has had state-authorized casino gambling since late 2006. This would be true in Virginia and in Fairfax County, as well. Plus, for every $1 in casino tax revenue, the social costs in crime and added welfare payments associated with casinos are estimated by scholars to be between $3-12 dollars.”
During the 2023 legislative session, Marsden first introduced legislation that would have given the board of supervisors the authority to put a casino referendum on a future ballot.
Language in the bill proposed building a casino somewhere on Metro’s Silver Line outside the Capital Beltway, but also not in the Washington Dulles International Airport flight path. Facing opposition, Marsden quickly withdrew his bill. A similar bill introduced in the House of Delegates by Del. Wren Williams (R-Stuart) was also withdrawn.
In January 2024, Marsden re-introduced his casino referendum bill, which included language that clearly identified Tysons as the location of the proposed casino. The lawmaker told Patch the plan was to build a conference center and performance space anchored by a casino.