This morning, Freedom Virginia put out a press release about a new poll on the proposed Fairfax/Tysons casino project, which finds that “75% of voters oppose a proposed new casino in Fairfax County. Instead, the poll finds, “76% of voters support tax restructuring so that corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share, like the middle-class already does.” And, “When asked about Fairfax’s fiscal crisis and how to fund essential services, just 21% of voters believe a casino is necessary to provide local and state revenue.” I looked for previous polling on this issue, and found this poll from January (28% support, 64% oppose).
I asked VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell – who patroned SB982 (“Adds Fairfax County to the list of localities eligible to host a casino in the Commonwealth and provides that any proposed site for a casino gaming establishment considered by Fairfax County shall be (i) located within one-quarter of a mile of an existing station on the Metro Silver Line, (ii) part of a coordinated mixed-use project development consisting of no less than 1.5 million square feet, (iii) within two miles of a regional enclosed mall containing not less than 1.5 million square feet of gross building area, and (iv) outside of the Interstate 495 Beltway.”) for reaction to this poll. Here’s what he had to say:
“This is a poll funded by a secret donor with no poll script, cross tabs or transparency and is a prelude to MGM’s ‘grassroots’ campaign to keep sucking $200 million/yr out of Northern Virginia to fund Maryland schools. When Fairfax County residents learn that a Tysons entertainment district creates 5,000 permanent union private sector jobs, creates $300 million of funding per year to support teacher, firefighter and police salaries, and lowers their real estate taxes- which are 30% higher than in Loudoun – they support this option.”
MGM, of course, owns a casino hotel in National Harbor, Maryland, which “opened on December 8, 2016, and cost $1.4 billion.” Which presumably is why, according to this article in the Patch, “Opponents of the proposed Tysons casino have spent more than $755,000 in donations and on lobbying efforts to influence lawmakers in Virginia since the beginning of 2023”; “[MGM] donated $40,750 to political action committees or the campaign committees of various lawmakers in the Virginia General Assembly during 2023-2024″; and “MGM Resorts spent $222,367 to retain and reimburse six lobbyists during the 2024 legislative session.”
Bottom line: if the proposed Tysons casino comes up for a referendum, it’s going to be a MASSIVE battle between corporate heavweights, presumably with millions of dollars being spent both for and against the proposed project. And, almost certainly, it’s going to get nasty. Can’t wait, huh? LOL
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NEW POLL: Growing Supermajority of Fairfax County Residents Oppose Proposed Casino in Tysons Corner
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Freedom Virginia Calls on Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to Oppose Unfair, Unpopular Casino
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RICHMOND, Va. — Today, Freedom Virginia released polling conducted by Global Strategy Group across all of Fairfax County – including an oversample of Tysons Corner residents – that shows 75% of voters oppose a proposed new casino in Fairfax County. Of those 75% who oppose a casino, 50% of those voters strongly oppose a casino. Instead of pursuing unpopular ideas like a casino to generate revenues that address the county’s fiscal crisis, 76% of voters support tax restructuring so that corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share, like the middle-class already does. A memo with the full results can be read here.
The new polling shows that 87% of voters are strongly in favor of local control over development decisions, agreeing that building a casino should depend on whether those in the community want it. Over 70% of voters believe that the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors should decide whether there should be a casino in Tysons, rather than legislators in Richmond.
Voter opinion mirrors the Board’s 2026 draft legislative agenda, which urges reforms to Virginia’s outdated and regressive tax structure to fund core services with sustainable revenue streams. Additionally, 76% of voters want to see the Board of Supervisors do more to push back against the proposed casino.
When asked about Fairfax’s fiscal crisis and how to fund essential services, just 21% of voters believe a casino is necessary to provide local and state revenue. A supermajority of 75% of respondents believe a casino would not only be insufficient to address Fairfax’s revenue needs, but that it would also hurt local businesses and cost Fairfax in the long term.
Freedom Virginia co-Executive Director Ryan O’Toole released the following statement on the new polling:
“Fairfax voters are clear: they do not want a casino in the County, and they reject the argument that a casino will boost the local economy or lower their taxes. Yet this proposal stays alive because one greedy and untrustworthy developer is trying to force it through the General Assembly and onto millions of Virginians who simply don’t want it. Our research clearly shows that what they do want are fair and sustainable sources of revenue that get economic relief to Virginians years faster than a casino would. It’s time to put this unwanted issue to rest and move on to addressing the real and dire economic pressures facing Fairfax residents and Virginians right now, and we urge the Board of Supervisors to do just that by opposing the casino.”
The survey was conducted with 800 likely 2025 voters across Fairfax County, Virginia, plus an oversample of 100 voters in Greater Tysons to achieve 250 total interviews in Tysons, between September 10 and 14, 2025. The margin of error for the entire sample is +/- 3.5%, while the margin of error for the greater Tysons oversample is +/- 6.2%. |
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Freedom Virginia is a nonpartisan 501(c)4 organization committed to building a Commonwealth where all Virginia families have the freedom to thrive. Freedom Virginia advances economic security policies through grassroots activism, voter engagement and legislative advocacy. Our efforts began in 2020 and since then we’ve pushed for a more economically secure Virginia by sharing real stories about Virginians’ lack of access to affordable healthcare, education, energy, and the need for policies that foster more safety for families. Visit our website at freedomva.org to learn more.
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