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A proposal that could have cleared the way for a casino referendum in Fairfax County stalled Feb. 12 when a Virginia House appropriations subcommittee agreed to pass it by for the day.
The decision effectively halted Senate Bill 982 for the session because the Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources subcommittee was holding its final meeting. The measure had passed the Virginia Senate 24-16 on Feb. 4.
Introduced by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, the bill was intended to counter gambling revenue flowing from Virginia to Maryland, home of MGM National Harbor across the Potomac River from Alexandria.
Surovell said he was offended by the amount of Virginia money helping fund schools in Maryland and Prince George’s County and believed the commonwealth needed to respond.
If approved by the House and Gov. Glenn Youngkin, SB 982 would have made Fairfax County the fifth Virginia locality eligible to host casino gambling. County voters still would have needed to approve a casino through a local referendum.
The legislation narrowly defined the potential location. It required a Tysons site within a quarter-mile of an existing Silver Line Metro station, outside the Capital Beltway and within two miles of an enclosed regional mall containing at least 1.5 million square feet. The casino also would have needed to be part of a coordinated mixed-use development spanning at least 1.5 million square feet.
Opponents celebrated after the subcommittee action. Sen. Jennifer Boysko called it “a happy day leading up to Valentine’s,” while Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn thanked residents who spoke against the proposal.
The Great Falls Citizens Association said the bill could remain trapped in committee because the Feb. 12 meeting was the subcommittee’s last of the session. The organization thanked Supervisor Jimmy Bierman for opposing the measure and said its legislative and land-use committees would continue watching for future casino initiatives.
Lynne Mulston of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition credited Boysko and the thousands of county residents who signed petitions, contacted lawmakers, donated money, displayed yard signs, attended rallies and traveled to Richmond to oppose the legislation.
The latest setback follows two unsuccessful casino proposals from Sen. Dave Marsden. During the 2024 General Assembly session, a Senate subcommittee continued SB 675 to allow more analysis of a possible casino. Marsden withdrew a separate 2023 measure, SB 1543, before a vote. That bill would have allowed casino gambling in a locality with more than 1 million residents operating under an urban county executive form of government.
Mulston warned that the casino effort would probably return in another bill. Surovell also made clear that the debate is not finished.
“We’re going to keep talking about it,” he said after the vote.