VA Gov. Spanberger Urged to Reject Fairfax Casino with One Week Remaining

There’s a maximum of one week left until Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has to answer a crucial question regarding a state-approved casino.

The state legislature greenlighted a retail casino in Tysons in Fairfax by approving Senate Bill 756 on March 14. Spanberger had one month to sign the bill, veto it, or let her 30-day window expire, resulting in the bill defaulting into law.

Despite the many potential benefits that would come from a new gaming facility, critics are still pushing for Spanberger to kill the proposal before it is too late.

Virginia officials say “No” to Fairfax casino

Introducing a new casinom complete with live-dealer table games and slot machines, to the affluent Northern Virginia area would yield substantial economic benefits for the local and state governments. Still, not everyone is sold on the positives outweighing the negatives.

“This is my call to action: Now is the time, do not wait,” Del. Rip Sullivan (D-Fairfax) said during an event sponsored by the McLean Citizens Association, per FFXNow. “You need to let [Spanberger] know.”

It comes as no surprise that a local official is one of the voices leading pushback against the casino. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted last year to oppose any casino proposal, regardless of its details. 

If the bill becomes law through expiration on the Governor’s desk or by receiving her signature, it would still need the support of the Fairfax County Board. SB756 states that the Board would be in charge of conducting a competitive bidding process and putting the selected developer in front of local voters, although it does not require the Board to initiate the process. 

“I have been asking my friends and neighbors to reach out to the governor,” Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Fairfax) said. “Let her know that this is important to us. We all need to work together.”

Benefits to reap

While opposition is strong for a new casino—which would be restricted to a former auto dealership on Leesburg Pike next to Spring Hill Metro Station—so is support.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) has been the primary voice championing a Northern Virginia casino. Not only does the region contain three of the wealthiest counties in the entire country, but it often loses money to MGM National Harbor in nearby Oxon Hill, Maryland, which is just across the Potomac River.

The proposal has also received the support of labor unions, several of which turned out at a rally in March to show their support for the legislation.

“There’s a lot of misinformation that basically has identified this whole project as just being one casino,” said Virginia Diamond, president of the Northern Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO. “It’s very important for people to know that this is an entire entertainment district, of which 5 percent would be a gaming floor inside a luxury hotel.”

Approving a Fairfax casino could create 2,000 union construction jobs and 3,000 permanent hospitality jobs, according to Kassa Emebet Samuel, the internal organizing director at UNITE HERE Local 25. 

A study conducted by a Fairfax County-hired consultant last year found that a casino project would produce an extra $29.1 million in tax funding for the county, as well as $53 million for the state. A 2019 study found that number to be nearly three times as high, estimating $150 million in annual stimulus for the Commonwealth.