Tysons Casino Supporters Rally at Proposed Resort Site in Fairfax County
Posted on: March 26, 2026, 01:04h.
Last updated on: March 26, 2026, 01:04h.
- Unite Here Local 25 members are rallying in support of a casino in Tysons
- Tysons, located in Fairfax County, has been targeted for a casino through legislation
- The Fairfax County government is opposed to the casino push
Public support for a casino resort in Northern Virginia’s affluent county of Fairfax is slim, but some union members who stand to benefit from a Las Vegas-like development are rallying for the proposal approved by state lawmakers in Richmond earlier this month.
On Wednesday, union members of Unite Here Local 25 rallied at the proposed casino site along Leesburg Pike next to the Spring Hill Metro Station in Tysons in support of Senate Bill 756. Led by state Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), the bill allows a casino on vacant land that was formerly an auto dealership adjacent to the Adaire residential high-rise.
Unite Here said more than a dozen hospitality, service, education, and trades union workers gathered to express their support of a casino resort in Tysons.
The development would bring over 5,000 good jobs to Fairfax County, lifting thousands of local families into the middle class and supporting Fairfax schools and county services,” the union said.
Along with the 5,000 direct and indirect jobs a casino could bring, the resort’s construction would be estimated to create at least 2,000 temporary positions.
Along with Unite Here, unions and trade groups that have expressed support for a casino in Northern Virginia include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26, International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 10, the Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association, the Northern Virginia Labor Federation AFL-CIO, the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers, and the Virginia Building Trades Council.
Local Pushback
While Unite Here Local 25 said those who turned out for the rally yesterday were area residents, the union is based in Washington, DC, about 15 miles east. Unite Here represents hotel and restaurant workers in the nation’s capital, as well as employees at MGM National Harbor in Maryland.
Unlike the five other casinos in Virginia, the local government in Fairfax County did not ask the commonwealth for a casino privilege. In fact, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is publicly opposed to allowing slot machines and table games in the area.
The county has asked Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) to veto SB756.
We did not ask for a casino. We do not want it,” said Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn (D-Hunter Mill).
Spanberger has expressed hesitation in authorizing more gaming unless the state forms a regulatory body to govern casinos and sports betting. Currently, such governances are tasked to the Virginia Lottery Board. Spanberger believes the lottery regulatory is short-staffed and ill-equipped to monitor further gaming.
Governor Spanberger is deeply concerned about any discussions of gaming expansion in Virginia without first establishing a single entity with clear authority, consistent standards, and strong compliance and enforcement capabilities,” Katie Frazier, Spanberger’s Agriculture and Forestry secretary, told the House General Laws Committee in February.
The Virginia General Assembly did not pass a gaming bill to establish a regulatory commission during its 2026 regular session.
Wynn, Caesars Monitoring Situation
Wynn Resorts and Caesars Entertainment have both revealed that they’re monitoring the ongoing gaming developments in Northern Virginia. Should Spanberger sign or allow SB756 to become law, the Las Vegas casino giants say they’ll explore a bid.
In Virginia, the governor has 30 days after the General Assembly adjourns to act on passed legislation. The legislature adjourned for its regular session on March 14, meaning Spanberger has until Monday, April 13, to act on SB756.
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