Fairfax County Casino Bill Amended for Local Referendum Requirement

^{The Virginia House of Delegates has pushed forward a casino bill with a referendum requirement. (Photo: Jay Paul / The Virginian-Pilot via ZUMA Press Wire)}

The Virginia House of Delegates’ General Laws Committee advanced a bill that would allow for a Fairfax County casino on Tuesday, but not before lawmakers added more local control over the approval process.

The 12-7 vote in favor of Senate Bill 756 came with a substitute amendment that will increase licensing fees and includes a strict referendum clause. The bill previously passed the Virginia Senate by a 23-14 margin.

Referendum Would Require County, Local Approval to Succeed

In the new bill, Fairfax County must hold a referendum once a casino developer and site have been chosen and approved by the Virginia Lottery. At that point, the referendum will need to pass not just countywide, but also in the specific magisterial district where the casino would be built.

“If it’s in Springfield, the Springfield District would also have to approve it,” Delegate Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax County) told the committee. “So, even if it got 80 percent of the rest of the county and only 49 percent of Springfield District, it would not pass.”

Should the referendum fail, Fairfax County wouldn’t be allowed to hold another referendum for the same location. If no referendum passes by July 1, 2029, the bill would expire, and Fairfax County would again be ineligible to host a casino.

In addition, the licensing fee for a casino in the county was set to $150 million. That’s ten times as much as the $15 million fee currently required under state gaming law. According to Krizek, half of the fee would be distributed to Fairfax County.

Other aspects of the amended bill included specifying the criteria Fairfax County must consider when choosing a casino operator and setting the casino tax rate at 40 percent of adjusted gross revenue.

Supporters Promote Economic Benefits in Face of Local Casino Opposition

The idea of bringing a casino to Fairfax County has been controversial. Supporters have claimed that such a venue is necessary to stop the flow of gaming money out of state, particularly to the MGM National Harbor Casino in Maryland.

However, opponents have pointed to everything from local opposition to national security concerns in coming out against the proposal, with even the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voting 5-4 in opposition to the idea.  

During the General Laws Committee hearing, lawmakers once again heard arguments on both sides of the issue.

“We feel strongly that this is an opportunity that is unprecedented and that would be life-changing for thousands and thousands of working families, people that are currently in poverty and would have the opportunity to get jobs in the middle class,” Northern Virginia Labor Federation President Virginia Diamond said, touting the temporary and permanent jobs a casino would bring to the area.

Other locals, including members of the No Fairfax Casino Coalition, shared concerns about the pace of gaming expansion in Virginia and asked how a casino would address the problems currently facing Northern Virginia residents.

“There are many serious challenges facing our residents and the Commonwealth, the rising cost of living, access to affordable housing, traffic congestion and fully funding public education,” Tysons Stakeholder Alliance President Paula Martino said. “A casino anywhere in Fairfax County will not solve any of these problems, and based on the data, it will not deliver the revenue that has been promised.”

The legislation to bring a casino to Fairfax County has changed multiple times in the 2026 legislative session. Initially, location requirements effectively restricted the casino to Tysons Corner, though the current bill would now allow it to be developed anywhere in the county.