You know that awkward family dinner where someone keeps bringing up the one topic everyone agreed to stop talking about? In Northern Virginia, that topic is a casino in Tysons, and Senator Scott Surovell seems determined to keep pulling up a chair for it.
But two community groups, the No Fairfax Casino Coalition and the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance, have come together to say “no thanks” to the idea. They recently co-hosted a webinar to rally residents and lay out a detailed case for why a casino is a bad bet for the county.
The House Always Wins? Not in Tysons
This fight has been going on for years. Lawmakers have tried three times since 2023 to get casino legislation passed, and each time, it failed.
Earlier this year, a bill backed by State Senator Surovell made it through the Virginia Senate but got stopped cold in the House of Delegates. You could almost hear the sighs of relief echoing through Fairfax. It would’ve allowed Fairfax residents to vote on a casino referendum, opening the door for a big resort project near the Silver Line in Tysons.
But local coalitions say they’ve had enough of the backroom bills and big promises.
According to Paula Martino, president of the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance, this isn’t what voters asked for. It’s being pushed by developers, not Fairfax residents.
The Money Talks
You can’t talk about a Tysons casino without talking about the big spender Comstock. The real estate developer is allegedly behind this whole legislative agenda, and they’ve been generous to the state’s top politicians.
We’re talking over $200,000 from the developer’s C Political Action Committee (PAC) and CEO poured into the campaigns of gubernatorial hopefuls Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger.
Oddly, these candidates have not taken a public stance on the casino, which is obviously a safe way to play it.
But the money talk got messy fast. Surovell’s pitching a $1.2 billion-a-year jackpot with $232 million headed to state coffers.
But Andy Pavord from Federal Consulting Alliance wasn’t convinced, saying those numbers sounded more like wishful thinking than reality.
What Locals Are Worried About
Ask anyone who drives through Tysons on a weekday, and they’ll tell you: traffic is already a nightmare. Adding a casino could bring another 25,000 visitors a day. Sally Horn, who chairs the Greater Tysons Citizens Coalition, says the area simply can’t handle that kind of chaos.
She said Consumer Reports ranked Tysons number one for traffic congestion in the country. So can you imagine trying to go shopping on a Saturday with 20,000 extra cars on the road?
Horn also brushed off claims that gamblers would take the Metro, saying:
“Most people won’t carry cash or winnings on the train. Casinos are open all night. The Metro isn’t.”
Locals are also uneasy about safety and the social side of gambling. As for the promised jobs, residents aren’t convinced. Most casino jobs are low-paying hospitality roles, and that doesn’t fit with the cost of living in Fairfax County.
What’s Next? The Showdown in Richmond
Now both proponents and opponents are going bumper to bumper, since Senator Surovell promised to bring his casino bill back in 2026.
Local groups are intensifying their efforts. The No Fairfax Casino Coalition and the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance are taking their battle straight to the state capital.
They’ve already got an invite to speak at a meeting in Richmond on October 20th, a joint subcommittee gathering where lawmakers will discuss setting up a Virginia Gaming Commission.
Basically, the residents are skipping the middleman and going right to the top to make sure their community’s voice is louder than the developers’ money when the General Assembly starts up again next year. For now it’s a waiting game.
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