New Casino Bill Allows For Convention Center In Fairfax Co.: Surovell

Clarification: Majority Leader Scott Surovell said on the floor of the Virginia Senate that a new gaming bill specifies a Fairfax County venue “has to be part of a convention center." The new bill language does not mention a convention center.

RICHMOND, VA — Legislation that would pave the way for a casino to be built in Fairfax County was amended by state lawmakers Thursday to add a requirement that any casino proposal must include a convention center as part of the development.

On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations recommended Senate Bill 756 to the full Senate for consideration with a substitute motion that removed Tysons as the location for any proposed casino development. Versions of the casino bill in previous years had restricted the casino to the Tysons area, specifying a gaming facility could be built along Metro’s Silver Line outside I-495 in Fairfax County.

"The bill as currently drafted says the project has to be at least 1.5M SF. Other casinos projects that have been built of this size have typically built at conference centers or comprehensive entertainment complexes."

During its regular midday session on Thursday, the Senate rejected the committee's substitute motion and then approved a new substitute introduced by Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon), the bill's sponsor.

"The substitute that came out of Senate Finance and Appropriations struck all of the finer location restrictions in the bill, so that as it came out of Senate Finance and Appropriations, the bill said that it could be located anywhere within Fairfax County," Surovell said. "However, there was one change that was made, which, to my understanding, was unintentional."

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One of the paragraphs eliminated from the original legislation required the casino project to be part of a coordinated mixed-use development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, according to Surovell.

Sen. Jennifer Boysko (D-Herndon) asked Surovell if the updated language still named Fairfax County as the locality where the proposed casino would be built.

"The only locality that is added is a county of at least 1.15 million people, has adopted the urban county form of executive government," he said. "The only one eligible right now would be Fairfax County."

Read Patch's reporting on Comstock Companies' plan to build a casino on Metro's Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino.

The Senate then approved Surovell's motion that the substitute be engrossed in the legislation and the bill would be submitted for its third reading.

Once a bill is read for the third time, the full Senate votes on whether to approve and send it to the House of Delegates for consideration.

This is the fourth year that the Virginia General Assembly has considered legislation that would give the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors the authority to put a casino referendum on a future ballot.

Despite receiving considerable opposition from Fairfax County residents, especially those living in the Tysons area, the Senate approved a Tysons casino referendum bill in 2025. That legislation was later left in a House of Delegates subcommittee.

Both houses of the general assembly must approve legislation before the Feb. 18 crossover deadline, which is when each house considers the other body's approved legislation. Any bill that is approved by both houses goes to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) for her signature.