Virginia’s House of Delegates approved legislation Wednesday that would allow for a casino in Fairfax County.
The measure could soon end up on Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s desk. First, delegates and senators have to reach an agreement, since the version each chamber passed is different.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell introduced the proposal, which would give voters the chance to weigh in on whether a casino should be built in the state’s largest jurisdiction.
The bill is the latest in a yearslong effort to allow voters to consider the project. While initial proposals focused on Tysons, the latest plan would enable the casino to be built anywhere in Fairfax County.
Surovell said a casino and entertainment district would keep some revenue in Virginia, instead of losing it all to MGM National Harbor. But critics have remained concerned about what a casino project could mean for traffic and crime.
The legislation, Senate Bill 756, passed the Senate last month, but several lawmakers from Northern Virginia voted against it. State Sen. Jennifer Boysko said she heard from many constituents who told her, ‘Please do not bring a casino here. We don’t need it.'”
Several Fairfax County supervisors also oppose a casino, and the board voted to leave it out of its legislative priorities before the 2026 General Assembly session.
A casino has emerged as the focal point of the project, but Surovell previously told WTOP the complex could also include a concert venue, conference venue, hotel, entertainment district and an IMAX center for sporting events.
Citing a 2019 report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, Surovell also said a casino project would produce “more revenue than all the other casinos we’ve authorized in Virginia combined.”
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