Posted on: November 13, 2024, 09:33h.
Last updated on: November 13, 2024, 09:33h.
Legislation to allow residents in Northern Virginia to consider a commercial casino proposal is anticipated to be introduced when the state’s General Assembly meets in January.
Virginia Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Fairfax) is once again taking the lead in proposing legislation to allow Fairfax County voters to contemplate a casino endeavor in Tysons. 2025 will be the third consecutive year that Marsden will present a bill to designate Fairfax as a potential location for a commercial casino.
Marsden’s 2024 proposal – Senate Bill 675 – was put on hold in February by the Senate Finance & Appropriations Resources Subcommittee. The subcommittee deferred SB675 to the 2025 session, but it is unlikely to receive a favorable vote before the Nov. 18 deadline to automatically include the bill on the 2025 legislative agenda.
Therefore, it is highly probable that Marsden will introduce a revised version of SB675 when the Senate convenes on Jan. 8. Marsden’s previous bill concerning a Northern Virginia casino specified the development to be located at a former auto dealership along Route 7 in Tysons.
Public Polling
In recent years, Marsden has slightly tempered his enthusiasm for a Tysons casino after facing backlash for initiating a Fairfax gaming bill in 2022 without much input from the public or local authorities.
Following criticism for what appeared to be a secretive deal with a regional real estate developer – Comstock – and campaign contributions from Comstock to Marsden and other pro-casino lawmakers, the veteran state senator seems to be more receptive to feedback. Local homeowners associations, town leaders, and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have all publicly opposed a casino in Tysons.
Marsden has announced plans for a public poll to gauge if more residents in the area would support a casino if they understand the potential economic benefits, such as the casino, resort, and convention facility generating tens of millions of dollars in annual tax revenue for the county, which could help mitigate rising property tax rates for homeowners.
Marsden has consistently defended his interest in a casino as a solution to the county’s property tax issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tysons and McClean in Fairfax County are home to some of the world’s largest companies, but with office spaces remaining vacant as businesses adopt remote work policies and flexible workweeks.
Referendum First
Marsden and his colleagues in Richmond cannot unilaterally impose a casino on Fairfax residents. The state’s 2020 casino law stipulates that a casino can only be approved in a county and/or city where a local referendum in favor of the project is first passed.
The 2020 gaming law was intended to create jobs and generate taxes in economically struggling areas. However, Fairfax and Tysons are not in that category, as Northern Virginia is among the wealthiest regions in the nation.
Nevertheless, Marsden believes that the county’s tax base should have options to prevent further property tax increases in the future as businesses renegotiate their office leases, potentially leading to lower property values and reduced tax liabilities.
Supporters of the Northern Virginia casino project include various local unions. These unions, such as the Northern Virginia AFL-CIO, Unite Here Local 23, and Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, believe the resort would create numerous well-paying jobs and generate crucial tax revenue.