Article Text

Legislation that could open the door to a casino referendum in Tysons has moved to the Virginia House Committee on Appropriations without a vote from the Committee on Local Government.

House Speaker Don Scott directed the local government committee Tuesday to transfer the bill. The committee unanimously agreed, taking no public testimony before relinquishing control of the measure.

Del. Holly Seibold, whose district includes Vienna and Tysons, used the meeting to reiterate her opposition.

“The constituents in my district … didn’t ask for this casino, nor do they want one,” Seibold said.

The appropriations committee generally meets Wednesdays and Fridays, but its meeting scheduled for Wednesday was canceled, according to the committee’s website.

The legislation, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, cleared the Senate on Feb. 4 by a 24-16 vote. It would add Fairfax County—and specifically Tysons—to the Virginia localities eligible to host casino gaming.

The bill would allow, but not compel, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to schedule a referendum. A casino proposal could advance only if county voters approved it.

Comstock Companies wants to build the casino on property it controls along Leesburg Pike, also known as Route 7, as part of a larger entertainment-oriented development.

Surovell’s measure does not name a particular property or casino operator. Instead, its geographic and population requirements largely confine any potential site to Tysons near Metro’s Silver Line.

Those criteria could also encompass Lerner Town Square, a long-vacant parking lot near Tysons Galleria owned by Lerner Enterprises. Surovell cited the property at 8025 Galleria Drive during the Senate floor debate. Although approved for development, the site has primarily hosted circuses and other special events in recent years.

Under the bill, Tysons would replace Richmond on Virginia’s list of casino-eligible locations. Richmond voters rejected casino referendums twice, including during the 2023 general election, and the city was removed from the list last year.

A similar proposal sponsored by Sen. Dave Marsden was deferred during the General Assembly’s 2024 session and defeated later that year.