Published on: November 20, 2025, 09:18h.
Updated on: November 20, 2025, 09:18h.
- Will 2026 see a proposal for a casino in Northern Virginia?
- Residents of Northern Virginia largely oppose casino gambling in Fairfax County
- This affluent area houses the CIA and numerous Fortune 500 companies
The prospects of slot machines and table games arriving in Northern Virginia appear slim, yet the affluent locals are not taking any chances.
For multiple legislative sessions, efforts to make Fairfax County eligible for a commercial casino have been proposed in the Virginia General Assembly. This initiative has been championed by state Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax), who believes this corporate hub and sprawling residential neighborhood must diversify to explore new tax revenues.
Many of the county’s over 1.1 million residents have voiced strong opposition towards the idea of a Las Vegas-style resort in their area.
Organized as various grassroots entities, such as the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition, Tysons Stakeholders Alliance, and No Fairfax Casino, these groups have converged at the Fairfax County Government Center to express their disapproval of casino gambling.
Community Feedback on Casino Proposal
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors convened to deliberate on their 2026 legislative priorities. Many anti-casino advocates urged local authorities to adopt a stronger stance against state proposals to designate Fairfax County for a casino.
“Your previous statements haven’t been sufficient,” remarked Sally Horn, chair of the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition, as reported by FFXNow.
“Let’s eliminate the idea of a casino in Tysons,” added Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert. “We have so many positive initiatives we could be working on.”
One after another, community members opposing the casino underscored that the county supervisors’ previous public comments regarding support from Marsden and other state legislators for the casino were lacking.
Last year, the board stated that, as Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, local governments’ powers are restricted by state law, so they do not typically take a position on state legislation. Facing substantial local resistance, the supervisors communicated their concerns in a letter to the legislative leaders in Richmond.
“In contrast to other areas that have been authorized to hold a referendum for a casino, Fairfax County has not pursued such a right and has not significantly engaged in the development of the casino concept suggested by stakeholders and the bill’s patron,” stated Jeff McKay, the county board chair. “It probably comes as no surprise that the proposed location and concept outlined in the legislation, as reported in the media, have sparked considerable community concern and opposition.”
“Moreover, since there was no community engagement process prior to introducing the bill, as observed in other jurisdictions, we believe that, in its current form, the bill will likely incite strong community opposition to any future referendum,” McKay added.
Casino Legislation Yet to Be Submitted for 2026
Prefiling for Virginia’s 2026 legislative session commenced on November 15. So far, no statute concerning a Fairfax County casino has been presented.
As 2026 is an even year, this session will last 60 days (whereas odd-numbered years last only 30 days). The General Assembly is set to convene on January 14 and adjourn on March 14.
While proposals from even-numbered years may be carried over to odd-numbered ones, those from odd-numbered years cannot be transferred to even-numbered sessions.