Fairfax County Casino Bill advanced by Senate Subcommittee

The Virginia Senate is once again moving forward with a bill that would allow Fairfax County to be eligible for a gambling facility.

The gaming subcommittee of the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee voted 5 to 2 this afternoon (Monday), with Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-39, abstaining. They will report Senate Bill 982, on Wednesday at 11 am.

A similar bill was advanced by the committee on a tie vote. It had been proposed last year, however, by State Senator Dave Marsden (D-35) only for the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee to table the legislation upon the recommendation of the subcommittee who suggested that more analysis would be needed.

The bill under consideration, championed by Senate majority leader Scott Surovell D-34, would allow Fairfax County Board of Supervisors (FCBS) to ask voters to approve a casino. The bill does not specify a developer or location but it contains requirements that limit the casino to a site on the Silver Line of Metro in Tysons.

Labor union members and leaders came out to support this proposed bill. They argued that it would create “life-changing jobs” and give Fairfax County a needed source of commercial income.

A labor representative spoke after Julie Coons, President and CEO of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Emily VanDerHoff, a Fairfax County Federation of Teachers union member, noted that the union’s first collective bargaining agreement was approved. However, it is unclear whether funds will be available for salary increases included in this contract.

She said, “This is a way we can increase revenue in Fairfax County without increasing taxes.”

Casino opponents – many wearing bright red “No Tysons Casino T-shirts” and identifying themselves as residents of Reston and the Tysons area – countered the casino’s potential to raise national security, crime and traffic concerns given the area’s close proximity to the CIA HQ and the abundance of federal workers.

Others pointed out that unlike localities which had been approved to have a casino, neither Fairfax County nor its elected officials or community members had asked the Virginia General Assembly for the authority to permit one. Some argued that Tysons does not need a casino in order to boost job creation and facilitate economic development.

Fairfax County does not need a casino to grow its economy. “We are the Silicon Valley of East,” said a Rotonda Condominiums resident.

One resident asked why the unions had rallied around the casino and not other construction projects in Tysons.

We have hundreds of workers working and building are being constructed. Tom Lewis stated that all of these jobs should be unionized.

Casino opponents have expressed support for a Tysons entertainment district, but argued that it would not need a casino in order to be viable. According to a flyer sent to lawmakers, Comstock’s mixed-use development includes a hotel and performing arts center, as well as housing, a conference center, retail, and a convention centre.

Connie Hartke is a member the No Casino Coalition, and the Reston Citizens Association. She urged senators to hold Surovell’s bill, and any other legislation that would expand gambling in Virginia, until the Virginia Gaming Commission was established. Del. The House of Delegates is currently considering a bill by Paul Krizek, D-16.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, while not taking an official position, has testified in court that they are both concerned with how much money from a possible casino would be going to the state and the county.

Arko pointed out that a casino gambling study carried out in 2019 by Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit & Review Commission looked at revenue projections but did not analyze Fairfax County’s suitability.

She said that the Board of Supervisors is not interested in the casino bill. They are more concerned with getting the state government to spend more money on education. This is after a JLARC 2023 study revealed that Fairfax County Public Schools, as well as other districts, have been underfunded.

Arko stated, “That is something we’d really prefer to move forward than something like that.”

Sen. Christopher Head, R-3, noted that after the speakers finished their remarks SB 982 received “overwhelming labor support… and really nobody else” even though it does not mention labor protections in the bill’s text.

Head stated that “you don’t have anyone from community groups to support this and the community is lined up outside the door in opposition.”

Surovell said he was confident he would be able to find community members who support his bill, if necessary, pointing out that none of those speaking were from his district which includes southeast Fairfax County.

He said that his constituents were “mostly screaming about their taxes” right now, and added that a Fairfax County Casino would have an impact on the county, state, and not just Tysons.

He stated before the subcommittee voted that there has been no crime in the Virginia localities which now have casinos. No national security concerns were raised regarding MGM National Harbor, located on the other side the Potomac River, or the proliferation online gambling.

Surovell stated, “From my perspective, it’s a lot of NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) stuff in different clothes.” “At the moment, Tysons is an area where people go to work. Very few people live in Tysons. There are a lot more parking lots and office buildings. This is the exact type of project that was meant to be built on this [Silver] Line when it was constructed. “If you don’t want to live in a dense area, stay away from the Metro.”