Fairfax County Casino Bill Amended to Require Convention Center

State lawmakers added a new requirement that any proposed casino development in Fairfax County must include a convention center.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The Virginia state legislature has amended a bill that would allow for a casino to be built in Fairfax County. The new version of the bill requires that any casino proposal must include a convention center as part of the development. The bill previously restricted the casino to the Tysons area, but the latest changes removed those location restrictions, allowing the casino to be built anywhere in Fairfax County.

Why it matters

The addition of a convention center requirement could impact the feasibility and location of a potential casino project in Fairfax County. This change reflects ongoing debates around the appropriate use of land and development in the region, as well as concerns from local residents about the impact of a casino.

The details

The original casino bill had restricted the location to the Tysons area, but the latest version removes those restrictions and allows the casino to be built anywhere in Fairfax County. The new amendment also requires that any casino proposal must include a convention center as part of the development. This change was introduced by Senator Scott Surovell, the bill's sponsor, during a Senate session on Thursday.

  • On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations recommended the casino bill to the full Senate with a substitute motion that removed Tysons as the location.
  • During its regular session on Thursday, the Senate rejected the committee's substitute motion and then approved a new substitute introduced by Senator Surovell.
  • The Senate then approved Surovell's motion that the substitute be engrossed in the legislation and the bill would be submitted for its third reading.

The players

Scott Surovell

A Democratic state senator who represents the 36th district and is the sponsor of the casino bill.

Jennifer Boysko

A Democratic state senator who represents the 33rd district and asked Surovell about the updated language in the bill.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

The local governing body that would have the authority to put a casino referendum on a future ballot if the state legislation is approved.

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What they’re saying

“The substitute that came out of Senate Finance and Appropriations struck all of the finer location restrictions in the bill, so that as it came out of Senate Finance and Appropriations, the bill said that it could be located anywhere within Fairfax County.”

— Scott Surovell, State Senator (Patch.com)

“The only locality that is added is a county of at least 1.15 million people, has adopted the urban county form of executive government. The only one eligible right now would be Fairfax County.”

— Scott Surovell, State Senator (Patch.com)

What’s next

Once the bill is read for the third time, the full Virginia Senate will vote on whether to approve it and send it to the House of Delegates for consideration. Both houses of the General Assembly must approve the legislation before the February 18th crossover deadline.

The takeaway

This updated casino bill reflects the ongoing debate around development and land use in Fairfax County. The new requirement for a convention center as part of any casino proposal could impact the feasibility and location of such a project, highlighting the complex considerations involved in major development decisions for the region.