An effort to bring a casino to northern Virginia’s Fairfax County is off the table until at least 2025 after a state Senate subcommittee recommended delaying the issue.
The move came after many county residents came out in vocal opposition to the plan. Many expressed their opposition to even putting the issue to a referendum. However, a vote to reject the proposal failed entirely, much to the dismay of opponents.
“There have been hundreds and hundreds of people in my community who have expressed their disappointment and disagreement with this proposal,” said Jennifer Boesko (D-Fairfax), who opposes the plan.
The casino plan was derailed
Virginia has become a growing gaming market since casinos were legalized in 2020. The state now boasts five casinos in Bristol, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Danville. However, Richmond voters rejected that city’s proposed property in 2021 and 2023.
Efforts are now underway to move this casino project to nearby Petersburg. A potential Fairfax casino would have a large population to draw customers from as the county is located just west of Washington, DC
Initial plans called for a casino and convention center in the Tysons Corner area, about 30 minutes from D.C. and about 15 minutes from Arlington, Virginia. Supporters estimate the property could bring the state up to $155 million in annual tax revenue and boost the local economy as well.
Some lawmakers had hoped to review the issue again later, thus voting to reject efforts to permanently remove the proposal from consideration.
“There are not many bills before this committee that provide this much potential revenue for the Commonwealth of Virginia in a year and at a time when our revenues are short,” said Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Fairfax), who sponsored the bill. . “This definitely has to be taken into consideration.”
In other regional news, Washington, D.C., has seen its own gaming revenue issues related to the city’s sports betting mobile app. After a problematic bidding process, city officials are now looking for a new partner.
*Photo via Unsplash
