The Fairfax County on line casino effort spearheaded by Virginia Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax) has reportedly been amended to permit the gaming resort to be constructed at just one particular website.
Virginia Sen. David Marsden is pictured in his Common Meeting chambers in Richmond in 2020. Marsden is behind a legislative endeavor to permit Fairfax County to think about authorizing the event of a on line casino resort. (Picture: The New York Occasions)
Since final yr, Marsden has been campaigning to designate Fairfax County in Northern Virginia as a permissible on line casino host jurisdiction. He’s working with Del. Wren Williams (R-Stuart) to rally bipartisan help for the endeavor.
Although Marsden hasn’t formally launched the Fairfax on line casino laws in Richmond, the longtime state lawmaker supplied particulars on the forthcoming statute to NBC4 Washington this week. The most important revelation in Marsden’s interview is that he’ll restrict the place the on line casino can function.
“The eligible host locality … shall be restricted to a proposed website for a on line casino gaming institution that’s positioned inside one-quarter of a mile of an present station on the Metro Silver Line, a part of a coordinated mixed-use mission growth, outdoors of the Dulles airport flight path, inside two miles of a significant buying vacation spot containing not lower than 1.5 million sq. ft of gross constructing space, and outdoors of the Interstate 495 Beltway.”
Marsden stated that basically boils the doable spots right down to a former auto dealership alongside Route 7 in Tysons.
Dwindling Tax Base
A lot of Fairfax County, particularly the census-designated Tysons, is residence to considerable workplace house. Marsden and backers of his on line casino push say COVID-19 tremendously decreased the county’s property tax profit, as buildings have misplaced worth as a result of many employees now completely carry out their jobs remotely.
There’s an actual have to strive to determine a means to assist plug the property tax gap that’s going to occur,” stated state Senator and Democratic Majority Chief Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax). “If we would like good colleges, the burden of offsetting misplaced tax income goes to fall on householders, so the county wants extra income sources.”
Marsden says he’s searching for to present Fairfax voters a alternative.
“I don’t need anyone to say 10 years from now, ‘Gee, why didn’t someone anticipate the adjustments in our income image right here in Fairfax County and make changes?’” Marsden requested.
Lengthy Odds
Many native governments and neighborhood and group associations within the Tysons area have come out in opposition to Marsden’s invoice. The Vienna City Council, Reston Residents Affiliation, and McClean Residents Affiliation have every voiced their antagonism to a on line casino resort.
Marsden says it isn’t only a on line casino, however an leisure and enterprise district with lodge and conference capabilities.
If Marsden’s invoice acquired enough help within the Common Meeting and was signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), Fairfax voters would have the final word say on whether or not the county’s on line casino resort can be approved. The county would maintain a aggressive bid to subject pitches from builders, after which put the mission earlier than native voters by a poll referendum.
A on line casino push to designate Petersburg can also be ongoing. That legislative effort is now being led by state Sens. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg).
4 casinos have already been permitted by way of native referendums in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville, and Bristol. Rivers On line casino Portsmouth was the primary everlasting on line casino to open a yr in the past this month. Momentary casinos have additionally opened in Danville and Bristol.
