Residents in Northern Virginia Area Stress On line casino Opposition
- Will a invoice to permit a on line casino in Northern Virginia be launched in 2026?
- Northern Virginia residents are general against on line casino playing in Fairfax County
- The prosperous area is dwelling to the CIA and plenty of Fortune 500 companies
The chances of a on line casino with slot machines and desk video games coming to Northern Virginia stay lengthy, however residents within the rich area aren’t taking their possibilities.
This mansion in McLean, Va., bought in August for $22 million. Many residents within the prosperous Northern Virginia Fairfax County are against state concerns to permit a on line casino resort within the space. (Picture: MLS)
For a number of legislative classes, measures to qualify Fairfax County for a business on line casino have been launched to the Virginia Basic Meeting. The push has been led by state Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax), who believes the company headquarters mecca and sprawling residential space must diversify to seek out new tax sources.
Most of the county’s greater than 1.1 million residents have strongly voiced their opposition to permitting a Las Vegas-like resort within the space.
Organized as numerous grassroots teams, together with the Higher Tysons Residents Coalition, Tysons Stakeholders Alliance, and No Fairfax On line casino, the allies went to the Fairfax County Authorities Middle on Tuesday morning to current their opposition to on line casino playing.
Public Enter Relating to On line casino
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors gathered to debate 2026 legislative priorities. Many members of the anti-casino motion pressured the native authorities to extra strongly oppose state efforts to designate Fairfax County for a on line casino than they’ve beforehand.
Your prior calls haven’t been sufficient,” mentioned Sally Horn, the chair of the Higher Tysons Residents Coalition, as reported by FFXNow.
“Finish the notion of a on line casino in Tysons,” added Vienna Mayor Linda Colbert. “We might be engaged on so many different good issues.”
One after one other, members of the on line casino opposition pressured that the county supervisors’ earlier public positions on Marsden and different state lawmakers’ help of designating Fairfax for a on line casino have been insufficient.
The board mentioned final 12 months that as a result of Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, the place native governments’ authority is restricted by the state, it doesn’t sometimes take a place on state laws. Amid robust native backlash, the supervisors weighed in with a letter to legislative leaders in Richmond.
In contrast to different jurisdictions that obtained the authority to carry a referendum to host a on line casino, Fairfax County didn’t search such authority and has not been substantively concerned within the improvement of the on line casino idea envisioned by stakeholders and the patron of the laws,” wrote Jeff McKay, the county board chair. “It probably comes as no shock to you that the placement and idea included within the laws and reported within the media has generated important neighborhood concern and opposition.”
“Moreover, since a neighborhood engagement course of was not carried out previous to the invoice being launched, because it was in different jurisdictions, we consider the invoice in its present type is prone to end in robust neighborhood opposition to the long run referendum,” McKay continued.
On line casino Invoice Not But Filed for 2026
Prefiling for Virginia’s 2026 session started on November 15. No Fairfax County on line casino statute has but been submitted.
Being an excellent 12 months, Virginia’s 2026 legislative session runs 60 days (odd-numbered years run solely 30). The Basic Meeting is to convene on January 14 and adjourn on March 14.
Whereas payments from even-numbered years will be carried over to odd-numbered classes, payments can’t be carried over from odd-numbered years.
