Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) is once again rolling the dice on legislation to allow a casino in Fairfax County.
A bill that would add the county to Virginia’s list of localities eligible to host a casino was officially introduced yesterday (Tuesday) in the state Senate, which referred it to a Committee on General Laws and Technology.
Numbered SB 756, the new bill is identical to one that Surovell brought forward in the General Assembly’s 2025 session, the state senator confirmed to FFXnow. Like before, it includes criteria that would limit any potential casino site in Fairfax County to Tysons:
The eligible host locality … shall be limited to a proposed site for a casino gaming establishment that is (i) located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, (iii) within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and (iv) outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway
When sharing his intention to revive the casino bill after last year’s iteration died in a House of Delegates committee, Surovell maintained that Fairfax County should consider permitting a casino-anchored development like the one envisioned by Comstock Companies near the Spring Hill Metro station to shore up a commercial tax base he says “is continuing to crumble.”
The project previously outlined by Comstock and championed by the Virginia Player’s Alliance, a coalition of gaming advocates, would also include a performing arts venue, a hotel, a convention center, housing and retail. But Surovell, who represents southeastern Fairfax, says a casino is a necessary component.
“The casino element of the project is a major revenue driver, and if it does the same or greater business as MGM [National Harbor] — which projections say it would — it would generate over $300 million a year to Fairfax County, which is equivalent to about a 10% reduction in real estate taxes for county residents on a per-household basis,” Surovell said in an interview with FFXnow in November.
It remains to be seen whether Surovell and other proponents can muscle the bill through the General Assembly when two previous attempts fell short, though each year, the legislation has gotten further along in the process.
Local opposition to even the possibility of a casino in Tysons appears to have only grown in the past year, with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voting in December to officially oppose any legislation to allow a casino in the county’s boundaries unless it’s requested by them.
Adopted with a narrow 5-4 vote, the statement of opposition represented a shift for county leaders who previously voiced skepticism of a casino’s benefits as a local revenue generator but stopped short of taking a collective stance.
“Because there has not been an independent analysis of revenue projections specific to this proposal, the County is unable to determine whether or not this proposal presents a good financial deal for Fairfax County residents,” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said in a Dec. 9 letter to House and Senate leaders.
Noting that county officials haven’t been involved in discussions of Comstock’s development concept, McKay’s letter took issue with the specificity of the site criteria laid out in the proposed legislation, arguing that it undermines the local government’s authority to make land use decisions.
He also echoed calls from community groups opposed to the casino for Virginia to establish a statewide gaming commission to regulate all forms of gambling before any new establishments are considered.
Bills to establish such a commission have been introduced in the House by Del. Paul Krizek (D-16) and in the state Senate by Sens. Lashrecse Aird (D-13) and Bryce Reeves (R-28). The Senate bills are scheduled to be discussed by a subcommittee on gaming during its meeting on Friday (Jan. 23) at 8 a.m.
Surovell agrees that a state gaming commission “needs to be explored,” but contends it would be unfair to Fairfax County to put its potential casino on hold when the five cities already eligible for a casino — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Petersburg — didn’t have to face the same level of scrutiny.
Surovell’s casino bill will likely be referred to the same subcommittee, but as of press time, it hasn’t been added to the docket yet.
Even if the bill is signed into law by new Gov. Abigail Spanberger, the Board of Supervisors would still need to schedule a voter referendum to allow casino gaming, and if that passes, there would be a competitive application process to select a permitted operator.