Casino Bill Should Be Rejected By Fairfax Supervisors: Former Lawmaker
TYSONS, VA — A former Republican congressman called on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to reject State Sen. Dave Marsden’s (D-Burke) proposed legislation that would clear the way for a casino to be built anywhere in the county.
U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, who represented Virginia’s 10th District from 1981 to 2015, also asked the supervisors to tell Marsden to withdraw the legislation before the start of the 2025 General Assembly session in January.
“I would also recommend that you share Senator Marsden’s casino plans and your opposition to those plans with your constituents,” he said in his letter. “We need as many voices as possible speaking up against a casino in Reston, Tysons, or elsewhere in Fairfax County.”
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Read the full text of Frank Wolf’s letter.
Wolf said he was aware of all the arguments for and against building a casino in Fairfax County, which is currently proposed for Tysons. He also had heard the arguments by county leaders that if they voiced strong opposition to the legislation, it could prevent the county from achieving its legislative goals, and result in more state restrictions on the county’s legislative authorities.
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“I sincerely doubt that either would happen, particularly if we stand united regionally,” Wolf wrote. “I expect that down-state legislators would know of the power of our local delegation and would not want to set precedents that could come back to bite them.”
Patch reached out to Fairfax County Board Chair Jeff McKay (D-At Large) and Marsden requesting their comments on Wolf’s letter. Marsden replied that he had no comment. McKay’s response will be added to this story once it is received.
Marsden’s primary justification for a casino being built in Tysons is that it would diversify the county’s revenue stream so it wasn’t so dependent on the real estate tax. That would mean the county wouldn’t be forced to raise the real estate tax rate or reduce services.
Wolf said Marsden was “dead wrong” on that point.
“Casinos do not grow local economies and are not the answer to balancing local budgets,” he said, in his letter. “In fact, casinos do considerable damage to local businesses.”
Wolf added:
“The tax revenue data reported by state tax and gaming authorities in states that have hosted casinos for years is clear: In the first few years, tax revenues increase in both real and inflation-adjusted terms. But over time, the inflation-adjusted tax revenues are flat or trend downward. This is true, for example, in nearby Pennsylvania, which has had state-authorized casino gambling since late 2006. This would be true in Virginia and in Fairfax County, as well. Plus, for every $1 in casino tax revenue, the social costs in crime and added welfare payments associated with casinos are estimated by scholars to be between $3-12 dollars.”
During the 2023 legislative session, Marsden first introduced legislation that would have given the board of supervisors the authority to put a casino referendum on a future ballot.
Language in the bill proposed building a casino somewhere on Metro’s Silver Line outside the Capital Beltway, but also not in the Washington Dulles International Airport flight path. Facing opposition, Marsden quickly withdrew his bill. A similar bill introduced in the House of Delegates by Del. Wren Williams (R-Stuart) was also withdrawn.
In January 2024, Marsden re-introduced his casino referendum bill, which included language that clearly identified Tysons as the location of the proposed casino. The lawmaker told Patch the plan was to build a conference center and performance space anchored by a casino.
Related:
Read all of Patch’s reporting on Comstock Companies’ plan to build a casino on Metro’s Silver Line in Fairfax County at Silver Line Casino.
On Feb. 6, 2024, the Senate Resources Subcommittee voted 4-0 to hold over Senate Bill 675 for the next legislative session.
Last month, Marsden told Patch he intends to reintroduce his casino referendum legislation when the next session begins in January.
Between the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions, citizen activists in Reston, Tysons, McLean and Vienna mobilized a No Fairfax Casino effort seeking to kill the legislation.
In March, Patch reported that a coalition of political and business leaders, including the owners of MGM National Harbor Hotel and Casino in Maryland, paid for a phone survey and provided buses to take Tysons casino opponents to Richmond to speak with lawmakers.
“We were already organizing our volunteers to go to Richmond and would have procured our own buses or carpooled to Richmond,” said Linda Walsh, president of the McLean Citizens Association, in March. “The bus he offered was merely convenient, it did not change our plans. His company has provided some yard signs and T-shirts. Signs are being requested and posted by individuals — not by paid third parties.”
The anti-casino group No Fairfax Casino has scheduled a community forum for Sunday, Oct. 27, at McLean High School, 1633 Davidson Road in McLean.
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