Fairfax County Casino Bill Revised To Require Local Voter Approval
A revised Fairfax County casino bill now requires both county-wide and magisterial district voter approval, along with a significantly increased license fee.Summary
The Fairfax County casino bill has been amended by the Virginia House of Delegates' General Laws Committee, adding requirements for local voter approval and increasing the casino licensure fee from $15 million to $150 million. The amended legislation mandates that a majority of residents in the specific magisterial district where a casino is proposed must approve the plan, in addition to a county-wide referendum passing. The bill also requires the selected casino operator to fund a public safety capital facility and enter into a labor peace agreement with relevant unions. The Virginia Lottery will make certain documents publicly available, with confidential information redacted. The casino tax rate is set at 40% of adjusted gross revenue, with allocations for the locality, problem gambling treatment, WMATA, and various trust funds. If a referendum fails, another cannot be held for three years, and the bill’s provisions expire if not approved by July 1, 2029. This bill follows a similar attempt in the 2025 legislative session that did not pass the House.
(Source：Joliet, IL Patch)