Fairfax County in Northern Virginia Asks Gov. Spanberger to Veto Tysons Casino Bill
Posted on: March 16, 2026, 02:32h.
Last updated on: March 16, 2026, 02:32h.
- Fairfax County is asking Virginia Gov. Spanberger to veto a casino bill
- The legislation would qualify a specific property in Tysons for a casino
- Fairfax never asked state lawmakers in Richmond for a casino designation
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors never asked the Virginia General Assembly for a casino. They got one, well, at least the opportunity for one, regardless.
Late Saturday, the Joint Conference Committee for Senate Bill 756 struck a deal that appeased both the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates. The bill, now with Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D), would qualify a specific site within Fairfax County as an eligible host location for a commercial casino with slot machines, live dealer table games, and a sportsbook.
Unlike the five other areas where the General Assembly permits casinos — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Petersburg, and Portsmouth — Fairfax County never asked for or expressed interest in a gambling concession. In fact, the Board of Supervisors in the affluent region has only voiced opposition to allowing a Las Vegas-like resort.
In response to SB756 moving to Spanberger, the Fairfax Board of Supervisors has formally asked the governor to veto the casino bill.
Spanberger Request
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has generally opposed Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell’s (D-Fairfax) crusade to qualify Tysons for a casino. In December, the Board formally rejected a casino in its 2026 Legislative Program, the county’s list of legislative wishes and wish nots.
The county’s official declaration said it opposes legislation “that authorizes a casino in Fairfax County without any request for such legislation from the Board of Supervisors.”
Following SB756’s passage, Fairfax Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill) wrote the county’s appeal to Spanberger to veto the measure.
We did not ask for [a casino]. We don’t want it. I call on Governor Spanberger to veto SB756,” Alcorn said in a statement posted to the county’s government website.
If Spanberger signs or allows SB756 to become law, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors would be allowed to request bids for a casino development. A winning bid would then be put to the county’s voters through a local ballot referendum. If majority support is fielded, the project would move to the Virginia Lottery Board for licensing.
County Action Unlikely
At this juncture, the odds seem long that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors would act on the casino opportunity if it becomes law. Nothing in SB756 requires the county to conduct a competitive bid or the local referendum.
An earlier version of the compromise would have allowed the state to greenlight a temporary casino, one nearly the size of MGM National Harbor, until the county conducted a referendum. Surovell said that was to incentivize the county to “cooperate” with the law.
House delegates representing Fairfax pushed back on the temporary casino without a referendum provision. The back and forth culminated with the referendum before gaming restored.
Last Comments ( 1 )
If the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is so sure that the residents of Fairfax County do not want a casino, then let democracy plays its role and let the people vote on this measure.