Guv’s emphatic veto on Fairfax casino won’t be the last word – bet on it

Fairfax County’s chairman of the Board of Supervisors perhaps said it best about Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s veto of a proposed casino in the county, after numerous residents and local officials had vociferously opposed it.

Chairman Jeff McKay cited overwhelming disapproval and general agita about the would-be project to bring poker, blackjack and slot machines to Tysons Corner. “Our residents have been clear in their concerns, and the Board of Supervisors did not ask for a casino and does not need one,” he told me through a spokeswoman last week.

“Those concerns centered on the potential impacts to quality of life, transportation, public safety, and the long-term direction of economic development in our community,” McKay continued. “… Going forward, Fairfax County will remain focused on strengthening and diversifying our tax base through sustainable economic development, including supporting innovation, job creation, and thoughtful redevelopment.” 

Sounds convincing to me.

If McKay thought the gubernatorial veto would put an end to the debate, though, he’d be wrong. Scott Surovell – the Senate majority leader, Fairfax County Democrat, and persistent supporter of a casino-entertainment complex – indicated this saga isn’t over.

Surovell, in a statement after the April 11 veto, said the jobs and revenue generated by the casino would build the middle class and recover dollars now heading to MGM National Harbor, just over the state line in Maryland. 

“I have worked on this legislation for four years. I will not stop,” he said. “Northern Virginia workers and families deserve the economic opportunity that every other region of this Commonwealth already has access to.”

Is he a hopeless Sisyphus? Or does he actually think he can entice residents with his mantra of more jobs, more money and a sunnier future for Fairfax?

This ongoing battle continues to puzzle me. Surovell knows that many residents, local leaders and even some General Assembly colleagues representing the county detest gaming. I previously wrote about the widespread opposition. Still, Surovell garnered enough bipartisan support in the legislature to pass his bill.

Without enthusiastic buy-in from the folks in the state’s most populous locality, how the heck will Surovell hit the jackpot? (Each locality trying to land a casino must win a voter referendum first before it can become a reality.) 

After Spanberger vetoed Senate Bill 756 – it was her first – the Assembly didn’t try to override it.

In her veto message and an accompanying news release, the governor noted the bill would set a bad precedent against local decision-making on gambling, since the county Board of Supervisors had opposed it. She also said a statewide, independent commission is needed to regulate gambling in Virginia. Attempts to do that didn’t pass both chambers this year.

“A unified regulatory structure is essential to ensuring transparency, accountability, safety, and public confidence,” Spanberger said.

The state and local voters already have approved casinos in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Bristol, Danville and Petersburg. Casino gaming revenues exceeded $100 million just in March, a news article noted. It was the first time the casinos surpassed that monthly milestone, the Virginia Lottery reported.

That’s some of the money Surovell covets for his own county.

One thing that might be overlooked: The fledgling casino industry in Virginia – the Assembly first authorized them in 2020 – has spun off partnerships between operators and colleges.

Norfolk State University’s School of Business last year developed an introductory course on gaming management, including issues such as staffing, security, taxation and government policy. Boyd Gaming, operators of the Norfolk casino, pledged $1 million to NSU. (A temporary casino has opened, and the permanent site, with a 200-room hotel, is set to open next year.)

Similarly, Richard Bland College began a dealer institute for table game dealers. The catalyst is the permanent casino in Petersburg, which is set to open in 2027. Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia is a partner in the institute.

I chatted with Larry Epplein, NSU professor and advisor to the gaming management program there. He noted the quest for revenues is a main reason to land casinos, but that such proposals are no panacea.

“I’m sure that’s what drives the motivation for communities that do approve them,” he noted.

Even in Norfolk, Epplein said, the big debate was whether the project would merely funnel existing entertainment spending to the casino, resulting in limited net revenue gains.

That’s something casino proponents should admit – and opponents will continue to seize on.