Date of Publication: January 21, 2026, 04:07h.
Last Updated: January 21, 2026, 04:07h.
- Proposed legislation aims to allow casino establishment in Northern Virginia
- The casino proposal specifically targets Tysons in Fairfax County for gaming activities
For the fourth consecutive year, legislative efforts in Virginia have been made to authorize a casino in Fairfax County.
Despite considerable local objections, including an official disapproval from the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, some lawmakers in Richmond are frustrated by the continuous loss of tax revenue to Maryland due to the absence of a casino in Northern Virginia.
Senate Bill 756, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), aims to include Fairfax County on the list of localities eligible for casino licenses in Virginia.
Confronted with increasing property taxes and ongoing budgetary issues affecting local governance, which led to the recent implementation of a controversial 4% meals tax that could severely impact small eateries, Surovell asserts that Fairfax requires fresh economic prospects.
“Fairfax County is confronting a $130 million budget shortfall, with projections of continued deficits,” Surovell noted last month. “[The county] continually approaches us for additional means of generating revenue, and this could provide a significant opportunity.”
Without a casino in Northern Virginia, many residents opt for the MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, which is a 20-mile drive from Fairfax but can take an hour or more due to traffic. Recently, a scaled-down version of a Las Vegas Sphere was announced for the MGM site.
Proposed Casino to Remain in Tysons Area
Surovell is building on the efforts of Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax), who previously supported casino proposals for Fairfax County, by keeping the gaming development restricted to a single site.
“The casino establishment under consideration for Fairfax County shall be situated within a quarter-mile of a current Metro Silver Line station, as part of a cohesive mixed-use development of no less than 1.5 million square feet, and within two miles of a regional shopping mall with a gross building area of at least 1.5 million square feet, situated outside the Interstate 495 Beltway,” clauses in SB675 specify.
The specified location details are consistent with prior Fairfax County casino proposals, limiting the casino to a 30-acre site adjacent to the Adaire residential high-rise between Spring Hill Rd. and Tyco Rd. on Leesburg Pike.
Critics of the casino have pointed to lobbying efforts by Comstock Companies, the real estate developer advocating for the gaming proposals from the outset. Comstock owns the site at 8546 Leesburg Pike, which aligns with the casino bill’s proposed location.
Conceptual images of a casino in Tysons bear resemblance to Wynn Resorts properties. However, Wynn Resorts informed Casino.org in December that while discussions have occurred with Comstock, no significant developments have taken place.
Opposition Gains Momentum
Surovell has yet to issue a public statement regarding the 2026 Fairfax County casino initiative. Meanwhile, numerous opposing groups have voiced their concerns.
Recent surveys indicate that 75% of Fairfax County residents are against the proposed casino in Tysons. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has officially stated its opposition in their 2026 Legislative Package. This proposed legislation raises significant concerns about lawmakers in Richmond overriding local land-use decisions despite robust community resistance,” articulated the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance, a coalition opposing the casino.
“The Reston Citizens Association and the No Fairfax Casino Coalition were not taken aback to see Sen. Surovell reintroduce his agenda with another special-purpose bill for a casino in Fairfax County,” stated RCA president Lynne Mulston. “We are ready to continue our resistance through community engagement efforts.”