Wearing matching bright red t-shirts that read “No Tysons Casino,” Fairfax County residents descended on Richmond on Monday to testify to the Virginia Senate Gaming Subcommittee, trying to defeat a bill that would bring a controversial new casino to Tysons.
Despite the opposition, the Gaming Subcommittee advanced Senate Bill 982 to the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee with a vote of 5-2, with one lawmaker abstaining.
Introduced by Senator Scott Surovell (D-Alexandria), a member of the Gaming Subcommittee, the legislation proposes a casino designed explicitly for Tysons, authorizing a “casino gaming establishment” of at least 1.5 million square feet situated outside the I-495 Beltway, within 400 yards of a Metro Silver Line station and two miles of a shopping mall. If the General Assembly passes the bill and Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs it, Fairfax County voters must still approve a referendum to allow a casino…