- A bill to allow a casino in Fairfax County continues to make headway
- Local voters would have the final say on a casino in Northern Virginia
- Caesars and Wynn have expressed interest in the opportunity
The odds of a casino coming to Northern Virginia continue to shorten, but the gaming push still faces an uphill battle.
On Tuesday, the Virginia House General Laws Committee voted 12-7 to forward Senate Bill 756 to the Appropriations Committee. SB756 passed the state Senate earlier this month with 23-14 support.
Led by Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax), SB756 would add Fairfax County to the commonwealth’s list of eligible host localities for slot machines, table games, and sports betting. Under Virginia law, casinos can only operate in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Petersburg, and Portsmouth.
The bill, which would allow the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to field bids for a casino development, would permit such a resort anywhere within the county. But the legislation was heavily amended during its consideration in the General Laws Committee.
Fairfax Casino Statute Amended
Proposals from Del. Paul Krizek (D-Fairfax), accepted by the General Laws Committee, changed the details of Surovell’s bill.
Most significantly, the winning bidder for a casino would need to pay the state $150 million for the Northern Virginia gaming concession. Virginia’s casino law, passed in 2020, called for just $15 million in gaming licensing fees. Fairfax County would receive $75 million of the upfront fee. The rest would go to Richmond.
Another major condition is that the municipality where a casino is being targeted must approve of the gaming facility through a local ballot referendum.
If it’s in Springfield, Springfield would have to approve it. If it gets 80% of the county but 49% of Springfield, it would not pass,” Krizek explained.
A failed vote on a casino would be barred from being represented to voters. However, new casino plans within Fairfax, with a new site, could be, so long as the referendum is held before July 1, 2029, when the provisions of SB756 would expire.
Casino Taxes
A casino in Northern Virginia would be subjected to significantly higher gaming taxes than the commonwealth’s other casinos, should SB756 become law as amended. The latest text suggests taxing gross gaming revenue at 40%.
Virginia’s five other casinos are taxed on a graduated scale based on revenue, ranging from 18% to 30%.
Of the Northern Virginia casino tax, 50% would remain with Fairfax County. Thirty-eight percent could go to the state for K-12 education infrastructure, 5% to problem gambling support, and 5% to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. The remaining 2% would be divided between the Virginia Indigenous People’s Trust Fund, the Open-Space Lands Preservation Fund, and the Virginia Family and Children’s Trust Fund.
Market Attractiveness
A substantial entry fee and high taxes could diminish interest in a Northern Virginia casino. Caesars Entertainment and Wynn Resorts have both stated that they would review the feasibility of a casino in the affluent region should the opportunity arise.
Fairfax is the nation’s fifth-richest county, with a median household income of nearly $128K.
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