Virginia Senate Approves Fairfax County Casino Bill, Which Advances to the House

A controversial bill to bring a new casino to Northern Virginia passed another crucial vote on Friday.

The state Senate approved a bill that would open the door to adding a sixth casino to the Commonwealth. The bill previously tied the planned location to Tysons, although that was unexpectedly stripped from the legislation last week.

The decision came in spite of opposition from local leaders and residents who have long opposed the construction of a nearby casino.

Fairfax casino approved, going to House

The Virginia Senate approved the bill with a 23-14 vote, greenlighting it for a review by the Virginia House of Delegates. 

Several years of groundwork have been put into getting the casino bill to its current standing. Fairfax County residents and officials have consistently objected to the casino, while lawmakers have touted the revenue-raising potential of a casino in Virginia’s affluent northern region.

“That’s just not revenue for Northern Virginia, it’s revenue for the entire state,” Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell said while referencing a  2019 report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee. “And this has been studied. It was looked at.”

The Senate-approved version of the bill would allow the casino to be constructed anywhere in Fairfax County. When the bill was introduced in 2025 and at the beginning of the current legislative session, it still included language that restricted its build site to Tysons.

Approval in the House wouldn't mean that the bill was guaranteed to become law. Instead, it would trigger a ballot referendum for local voters, who would ultimately have the final say.

That could prove to be a real hurdle for pro-gaming officials and advocates. Last December, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors narrowly voted to oppose any casino legislation that was presented to them.

Will Virginia legalize its sixth casino?

The bill mandated that at least 1.5 million square feet be dedicated to the casino at its future project site, pending approval. Surovell also said that the gaming facility would be supported by a variety of amenities, including a concert venue, conference space, a hotel, an entertainment district, and an IMAX center.

“(That) is typically how projects of that size are designed and constructed,” he said.

While the fate of the bill now lies in the hands of the state House, several Senators still have a bone to pick.

“The Board of Supervisors has not even had a robust conversation on this,” Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40) said. “They have decided that the planning effort, the effort that the locality would have to put forth regarding public infrastructure, safety questions, transportation and even national security issues, far outweigh the desirability of engaging in this conversation.”

Another said that locals had personally requested that she fight against a casino.

“I go to the grocery store, I am stopped by my constituents,” said Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-38). “I have gone to the doctor. I have been stopped by my doctor when I was having a sick visit, who said, ‘Please do not bring a casino here. We don’t need it.'”

Despite the concerns, Virginia stands to gain a lot financially from adding a casino. A Fairfax County casino was estimated to generate more revenue than the state’s other five facilities combined. It would also ease the stranglehold that  MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, has on gamblers in southern Maryland, Washington D.C., and Northern Virginia.