The General Assembly decided to carry over a bill from last year that would allow for a casino to be built in Fairfax County along the silver line.
RESTON, Va. — The group No Fairfax Casino Coalition is heading to Richmond Wednesday morning to lobby at the General Assembly to kill a bill that would allow a casino to be constructed in Fairfax County.
Specifically, Bill SB982 “adds Fairfax County to the list of localities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth and provides that any proposed site for a casino gaming establishment considered by Fairfax County shall be (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.”
Based on those requirements, most believe the angle is to build the casino in Tysons Corner.
Lawmakers carried it over from last year to allow for more research and consideration.
Proponents of the bill argue that it would be a boon to local businesses, increase tax revenue for the area, and create needed jobs.
Multiple labor unions have come together throughout the process to express their support, saying the jobs this project would create could be life-changing. They also argue that it would help lower housing and renting prices.
The Fairfax County Federation of Teachers is excited about the potential for tax revenue to be earmarked for schools.
The No Fairfax Casino Coalition begs to differ.
They say the costs far outweigh the benefits and argue that only developers and casino operators will benefit.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors did not ask for a casino referendum authority, so the coalition says attempting to provide them with one “sets a dangerous precedent for every local jurisdiction in the state. If powerful economic interests decide to put something in your district, they can try to do so at the state level.”
Supervisor Walter Alcorn, who represents the jurisdiction of the proposed casino location, the Hunter Mill District, penned a letter last January to State Senator David Marsden, arguing against the initial bill.
Board of Supervisors Chair Jeffrey McKay laid out his concerns here.
The coalition said they do want to invest in entertainment and mixed-use projects in Tysons, which they call the economic engine of Fairfax County, but say a casino is not the way to do it.
“The pro-casino folks are going to be spouting tax revenue benefits. and it’s not going to harm. There are going to be no social cost involved,” coalition chair Lynne Mulston said. “We have contrary data. and it is peer reviewed research so they can say all they want, we know what the truth is. We know how communities are damaged from crime, drug addiction.”
Mulston shared a 2024 UMASS Amherst study that found that 90% of casino revenue comes from at-risk or problem gamblers.
The No Fairfax Casino Coalition hopes to kill the bill outright, but it remains to be seen who will win the battle.
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