A bill that would pave the way for a casino to be built in Virginia’s Tysons area has passed the state’s General Assembly for the first time in four years.
SB756 would allow for a casino to be included in a 1.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Fairfax County if the county Board of Supervisors allows for a voter referendum and voters approve it.
This final version of the legislation emerged after both the House of Delegates and Senate passed different versions in recent weeks, causing it to go to a conference committee.
The agreed-upon version passed Saturday evening and limits the casino to be built only in the Tysons area. That’s a change from earlier language that would have allowed the development anywhere in Fairfax County.
The new measure also removed an earlier provision that would have allowed a temporary casino to operate for up to five years if approved by the state’s Major Employment and Investment Project Approval Commission.
Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who took office in January, has not indicated whether she would sign the bill into law.
The Washington Business Journal reports Spanberger had signaled willingness in the past to consider passing the bill if the General Assembly created a state gaming commission, which doesn’t exist under this final version.
Even if the bill makes it past the governor’s desk, the decision ultimately comes down to whether the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors will allow for a voter referendum, something Chairman Jeff McKay said he doesn’t plan to do.
In December, the Board of Supervisors voted 5-4 to oppose the casino legislation unless requested by a majority of the board.
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