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A renewed push to authorize casino gambling in Fairfax County is back before Virginia lawmakers, reviving a contentious proposal tailored to permit a casino-anchored development in Tysons.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-34) introduced SB 756 in the state Senate on Tuesday. The measure was referred to the Committee on General Laws and Technology.
Surovell said the bill is identical to legislation he introduced during the 2025 General Assembly session. That earlier effort died in a House of Delegates committee, following another unsuccessful attempt the year before.
Although the bill would add Fairfax County to Virginia’s list of eligible casino hosts, its requirements would sharply limit where a casino could be built. A qualifying site would have to be within a quarter-mile of a Silver Line Metro station, outside the Interstate 495 Beltway and within two miles of an enclosed regional mall containing at least 1.5 million square feet.
The casino would also have to be part of a coordinated mixed-use development encompassing at least 1.5 million square feet. Together, those conditions effectively point to Tysons.
Supporters tout revenue and development
Surovell has argued that Fairfax County should consider a casino-centered project to strengthen a commercial tax base he says “is continuing to crumble.”
Comstock Companies previously outlined a development near the Spring Hill Metro station that would combine a casino with a performing arts venue, hotel, convention center, housing and retail. The concept has been promoted by the Virginia Player’s Alliance, a coalition supporting expanded gaming.
Surovell, whose district covers southeastern Fairfax County, has said the casino would be essential to the project’s finances.
“The casino element of the project is a major revenue driver,” he said in a November interview. Surovell estimated that if the Tysons venue matched or exceeded MGM National Harbor’s business, as projections indicate, it could produce more than $300 million annually for Fairfax County. He described that as roughly equivalent to a 10% reduction in household real estate taxes.
Whether supporters can move the legislation through both chambers remains uncertain. The casino proposal has advanced further with each attempt, but local opposition has intensified.
County leaders push back
In December, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted 5-4 to oppose legislation authorizing a casino within the county unless the board itself requests it.
The narrowly approved position marked a change for county leaders, who had previously questioned the potential revenue benefits without formally opposing the proposal as a group.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn led the effort to adopt a stronger stance. He said a casino would conflict with Fairfax County’s long-term plans for Tysons.
“Fairfax County’s legislative position on a casino is clear,” Alcorn said. “We oppose any bill to bring a casino to Tysons without the Board of Supervisors requesting it, as explicitly stated in our adopted state legislative program.”
Alcorn called Tysons the county’s economic engine and argued that a casino would undermine its comprehensive plan.
Board Chairman Jeff McKay raised additional concerns in a Dec. 9 letter to House and Senate leaders. He said county officials had not participated in discussions about Comstock’s concept and argued that the bill’s unusually specific site requirements would weaken local control over land-use decisions.
McKay also joined community groups in calling for Virginia to create a statewide commission overseeing every form of gambling before approving additional gaming establishments.
Del. Paul Krizek (D-16) has introduced a House bill to establish such a commission. Sens. Lashrecse Aird (D-13) and Bryce Reeves (R-28) have filed corresponding Senate measures, which are scheduled for discussion by a gaming subcommittee at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 23.
Surovell has agreed that a state gaming commission “needs to be explored.” However, he argues that delaying a Fairfax casino on those grounds would impose an unfair standard that Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Petersburg—the five cities already eligible to host casinos—did not face.
SB 756 is expected to go to the same gaming subcommittee, though it had not yet been placed on the meeting docket.
Passage by the General Assembly and approval from Gov. Abigail Spanberger would not guarantee a casino. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors would still have to schedule a voter referendum. If voters approved casino gaming, a competitive application process would then determine which operator received a permit.