Fairfax On line casino Would Generate $29 Million in Annual County Taxes

• A on line casino in Northern Virginia would generate modest tax income for Fairfax County
• A on line casino wouldn’t clear up Fairfax County’s income downside
• Fairfax continues to hunt new income sources 

A on line casino in Northern Virginia by the use of Fairfax County would generate appreciable native tax income, a brand new research finds.

An financial impression research on a attainable on line casino in Northern Virginia finds that tax income from the resort wouldn’t do a lot to help Fairfax County’s income woes. The county would see about $29 million a 12 months in native tax cash, the report tasks. (Picture: Comstock Firms)

State lawmakers in Richmond proceed to think about including Fairfax County to the record of eligible host localities for slot machines and desk video games. At present, solely Portsmouth, Norfolk, Bristol, Danville, and Petersburg can have casinos.

Senate Invoice 756, led by Senate Majority Chief Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), gained the Senate’s blessing earlier this month with a 23-14 vote. The laws has since moved to the Virginia Home of Delegates, the place it’s been assigned to the Normal Legal guidelines Committee.

There’s stern opposition in Fairfax County to a on line casino. The county Board of Supervisors formally opposed SB657 in its 2026 Legislative Program. Householders’ associations and civic teams have additionally spoken towards the on line casino push.

Regional Profit 

A current research carried out by MuniCap, a public finance and consulting agency based mostly in Maryland, finds {that a} on line casino resort would ship Fairfax County much-needed tax income.

The report, obtained by FFXnow, tasks that the on line casino would generate round $313.6 million a 12 months in gross gaming income (GGR). That will result in roughly $42.4 million in state and native taxes. Fairfax County’s share could be about $19.9 million.

Tax income from the resort’s different operations, equivalent to lodge, live performance, conference, meals and beverage, and retail gross sales, would escalate Fairfax’s yearly profit to greater than $29 million.

Whereas $29 million isn’t insignificant, it’s solely a drop in Fairfax County’s annual spending. The county’s 2026 fiscal 12 months consists of $5.71 billion on the whole fund disbursements.

The county’s Jan. 1, 2026, implementation of a 4% tax surcharge on all meals and drinks bought by eating places is estimated to generate $135.8 million this 12 months alone.

Conservative Estimate? 

MuniCap’s estimate {that a} on line casino in Northern Virginia would generate $313.6 million a 12 months in GGR is seemingly conservative. In close by Nationwide Harbor, MGM’s on line casino in Maryland reported 2025 GGR of greater than $823.2 million.

Proponents of placing a on line casino in Fairfax County motive that a lot of the gaming cash from the area that’s flowing into Maryland to MGM Nationwide Harbor could be captured.

Fairfax has regularly relied on actual property tax hikes to fund elevated spending and prices. With property taxes from the county’s massive workplace buildings remaining decrease than earlier than the pandemic, new income sources are wanted.

If Fairfax is allotted a on line casino, voters would have the ultimate say on whether or not the challenge is greenlit by a county referendum. Each Caesars Leisure and Wynn Resorts have expressed some stage of curiosity within the alternative.