Northern Virginia Casino Plans Delayed To 2025Efforts Face Local Opposition |
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An attempt to bring a casino to northern Virginia’s Fairfax County is off the table at least until 2025 after a state senate subcommittee recommended delaying the issue.
The move came after numerous residents from the county turned out in vocal opposition to the plan. Many expressed opposition to even putting the issue to a ballot referendum. However, a vote to deny the proposal entirely failed, much to the chagrin of opponents.
“There were hundreds and hundreds of people in my community who have expressed disappointment and disagreement with this proposal,” said Jennifer Boysko (D-Fairfax), who is against the plan.
Casino Plan Derailed
Virginia has become a growing gaming market since legalizing casinos in 2020. The state now boasts five casinos in Bristol, Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Danville. However, Richmond voters rejected a proposed property for that city in 2021 and 2023.
Efforts are now underway to move that casino project to the nearby city of Petersburg. A possible Fairfax casino would have a large population to draw customers from as the county is located just to the west of Washington D.C.
Initial plans called for a casino and conference center in the Tysons Corner area, located about 30 minutes from D.C. and about 15 minutes from Arlington, Virginia. Proponents estimate that the property could bring the state up to $155 million in annual tax revenue and also boost the local economy.
Some lawmakers hoped to review the issue again at a later date, thus efforts to permanently remove the proposal from consideration was voted down.
“There aren’t many bills coming before this committee that offer this much potential revenue to the commonwealth of Virginia in a year and a time when our revenues are short,” said Sen. Dave Marsden (D-Fairfax), who sponsored the bill. “This absolutely has to be considered.”
In other area news, Washington D.C. has seen its own gaming revenue issues regarding the city’s sports betting mobile app. After a problematic rollout, city officials are now seeking a new partner.
*Photo by Unsplash
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