As Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger weighs whether to sign off on a measure that would let voters decide to build a casino complex in Fairfax County, local and state leaders have offered conflicting perspectives on whether the area needs it.
If the Board of Supervisors planned a referendum and voters approved it, the bill would allow the construction of a 1.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development in Tysons. The complex would include a casino, convention center and entertainment district, among other things.
For the third consecutive General Assembly session, lawmakers in Richmond considered the possibility. Though several elected officials representing the Northern Virginia area voted against the proposal, it ultimately passed both chambers.
A series of changes considered before the 2026 session ended would have allowed a temporary casino to be built in Fairfax County through a process that would have removed the need for a local referendum. However, the measure that passed was similar to the one initially introduced.
“The idea that Tysons is struggling, therefore the state needs to come up with a gimmick to help it — Tysons is funding the state!” Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay said during a meeting Tuesday. “It is places like Tysons that are funding the state.”
Bringing a casino to the area has prompted lingering concerns, McKay said, including how it would impact property values, traffic and school populations.
Supervisor Dalia Palchik, whose district includes Tysons, said the area is “not in need of rescue,” citing recent news that Capital One is expanding its footprint into the Tysons area.
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Some labor groups have touted the casino project as a way to bring more jobs to the area, and advocates say it will generate billions in revenue that will help Fairfax County schools and potentially enable local leaders to lower property taxes.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, who introduced the bill that would allow for a casino in Fairfax County, said Tysons has had trouble attracting projects.
“The Dulles rail corridor has been much more attractive along the Toll Road there for a lot of developers. You’ve seen a lot more building through there than you have in Tysons,” he told WTOP.
Surovell also cited the office vacancy rate in Tysons as being “well in excess of the national average.” Last year, the office vacancy rate in Tysons was 20%, according to a report from the Tysons Community Alliance. The national office vacancy rate last year was about the same, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Supervisor Jimmy Bierman said the bill was developed to benefit a specific developer and urged Spanberger to veto the plan.
“I hope that, if she doesn’t, that our board takes action against this bad, bad proposal in Tysons,” Bierman said.
There are two locations owned by two different entities where the project can be built, Surovell said, and “the terms of the law do not say it applies to one entity or one developer.”
“If the county was serious about economic development, perhaps they would view this as an opportunity to try to bring a multi-billion dollar project to the county, which they haven’t landed in over a decade,” he said.
Surovell said he hasn’t spoken to Spanberger about the casino proposal for two or three months.
As for communication with local leaders, Surovell said he’s “reached out to many of them over the last 60 days to try to find out exactly what it is they want. And every time I make a proposal that’s consistent with what they asked for, they say it’s not what they asked for. I’m not really sure how to make them happy.”
Before the 2026 session started, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted against putting the casino project in its list of legislative priorities.
Spanberger has until next month to sign, change or veto the bill.
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