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Virginia lawmakers advanced legislation that could clear the way for a casino in the Tysons area, pushing the proposal forward despite formal opposition from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.
The Senate General Laws Gaming Subcommittee voted 5-3 on Jan. 23 to recommend reporting Senate Bill 756 and sending it to the Finance and Appropriations Committee. The decision sets up another contentious fight over whether Fairfax County should become eligible to host a casino.
Sens. Lashrecse Aird, Todd Pillion, Jennifer Carroll Foy, Bryce Reeves and Jeremy McPike voted for the measure. Sens. Adam Ebbin, Christopher Head and Danica Roem opposed it. McPike chairs the subcommittee.
SB 756 would add Fairfax County to Virginia’s list of localities permitted to host casino gambling. It advanced weeks after county supervisors voted 5-4 on Dec. 9, 2025, to oppose casino legislation unless a majority of the board requests it and other conditions are met.
Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn, who introduced the county proposal, said Fairfax’s position is unambiguous.
“Fairfax County’s legislative position on a casino is clear,” Alcorn said in a Jan. 21 email. “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.
Supporters Point to Revenue and Jobs
Sen. Scott Surovell, the bill’s sponsor, presented the proposal as a response to Fairfax County’s projected $300 million budget shortfall and the gambling revenue leaving Virginia for MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
Surovell said a casino could produce about $200 million annually for Fairfax County and roughly $2 billion for state school construction over a decade. He contrasted Fairfax’s financial outlook with neighboring Loudoun County, which he said has a surplus of approximately $250 million to $300 million despite having about 40% of Fairfax’s population.
Although the legislation does not name Tysons directly, its geographic requirements sharply narrow the potential locations. A casino would need to be within a quarter-mile of an existing Silver Line Metro station, form part of a development containing at least 1.5 million square feet, sit outside the Capital Beltway and be within two miles of a major regional mall.
Surovell said the bill could apply to multiple locations in Tysons and that two possible sites have been assembled.
Passing SB 756 would not authorize casino construction by itself. The bill would make Fairfax eligible to pursue a casino, but the current measure would still require approval from the Board of Supervisors and passage in a countywide referendum. Surovell said the legislation is identical to the version introduced in 2025.
Labor representatives urged lawmakers to advance the proposal, arguing that a casino could generate thousands of union jobs.
“For workers in Northern Virginia who are struggling to get by in low-wage jobs, this is an opportunity to create thousands of jobs that can lift people up,” said Mike Hashi of UNITE HERE.
Virginia Diamond, president of the Northern Virginia Labor Federation, said working-class Fairfax residents should be allowed to vote on the issue.
Local Officials Push Back
Opponents argued that the legislation intrudes on Fairfax County’s land-use authority and disregards years of planning for Tysons.
“Fairfax County stands in opposition, largely due to … the usurping of the local land use authority,” said Jennifer Van Dyck, who represented the county during the testimony.
Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert was more direct: “Fairfax County did not ask permission to build a casino. We do not want it.”
Jennifer Falcone of Citizens for Great Falls and the No Fairfax Casino Coalition called for an independent study by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission before lawmakers move the bill further.
Reena Hicks of Freedom Virginia urged the General Assembly to consider other sources of revenue. She cited research indicating that more than 70% of Fairfax residents would prefer raising additional money by requiring wealthy individuals and corporations to pay a larger share.