{"provider_url": "https://readwrite.com", "description": "Governor Spanberger halts forced Fairfax casino referendum citing local authority as Virginia gambling expansion intensifies policy debates.", "embeds": [], "safe": true, "provider_display": "readwrite.com", "related": [], "favicon_url": "https://readwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/cropped-readwrite-favicon-192x192.png", "authors": [{"url": "https://readwrite.com/author/suswati-basu/", "name": "All Posts by Suswati Basu"}], "images": [{"caption": null, "url": "https://readwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Spanberger-veto-blocks-Fairfax-casino-vote-amid-clash-over-local-control.png", "height": 800, "width": 1200, "colors": [{"color": [33, 23, 24], "weight": 0.243408203125}, {"color": [72, 90, 160], "weight": 0.208984375}, {"color": [89, 49, 50], "weight": 0.126220703125}, {"color": [153, 130, 157], "weight": 0.117919921875}, {"color": [49, 56, 108], "weight": 0.1044921875}], "entropy": 5.33317354934, "size": 429521}, {"caption": null, "url": "https://readwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Spanberger-veto-blocks-Fairfax-casino-vote-amid-clash-over-local-control-900x600.png", "height": 600, "width": 900, "colors": [{"color": [32, 23, 23], "weight": 0.250732421875}, {"color": [72, 90, 160], "weight": 0.208740234375}, {"color": [89, 48, 48], "weight": 0.1220703125}, {"color": [122, 94, 109], "weight": 0.10986328125}, {"color": [156, 128, 152], "weight": 0.109619140625}], "entropy": 6.3004897030145095, "size": 781236}, {"caption": null, "url": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/5fce0e8b364c684a67030e3a1ee3585a4c3106b56dce30d1d59e3dabe131e265?s=400&d=mm&r=g", "height": 400, "width": 400, "colors": [{"color": [4, 4, 4], "weight": 0.75537109375}, {"color": [133, 121, 113], "weight": 0.171630859375}, {"color": [217, 212, 207], "weight": 0.072998046875}], "entropy": 2.28119687261, "size": 108773}, {"caption": null, "url": "https://readwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Michigan-orders-19-illegal-gaming-sites-to-cease-operations-for-licensing-violations-240x160.png", "height": 160, "width": 240, "colors": [{"color": [27, 43, 53], "weight": 0.540771484375}, {"color": [205, 212, 221], "weight": 0.18359375}, {"color": [63, 118, 135], "weight": 0.15869140625}, {"color": [135, 145, 152], "weight": 0.116943359375}], "entropy": 4.467749273372199, "size": 68466}, {"caption": null, "url": "https://readwrite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Harrahs-Oklahoma-opens-as-Caesars-enters-state-with-new-casino-240x160.png", "height": 160, "width": 240, "colors": [{"color": [23, 72, 166], "weight": 0.396240234375}, {"color": [40, 33, 26], "weight": 0.271728515625}, {"color": [84, 68, 56], "weight": 0.169189453125}, {"color": [144, 110, 78], "weight": 0.064697265625}, {"color": [166, 144, 118], "weight": 0.037109375}], "entropy": 5.618480447431738, "size": 60155}], "cache_age": 86016, "language": "en", "app_links": [], "original_url": "http://readwrite.com/2013/08/13/iphone-5s-what-to-expect", "url": "https://readwrite.com/spanberger-veto-fairfax-casino/", "media": {}, "title": "Virginia Governor Spanberger casino veto fuels Fairfax local control", "offset": null, "lead": null, "content": "
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Abigail Spanberger has stepped into a growing fight over gambling policy in Virginia, rejecting a bill that would have pushed Fairfax County toward a public vote on a proposed casino.

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The legislation, Senate Bill 756, focused on Tysons Corner and would have required the county's Board of Supervisors to schedule a referendum, even though local leaders had already made clear they were not on board. By vetoing it, Spanberger sided with local officials and warned against letting the state override those decisions.

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\"Local governing boards should lead on proposed casino development, as has happened in every locality that now has a casino,\" said Spanberger in a press release. \"But in Fairfax County, the Board of Supervisors has explicitly opposed this legislation, and an overwhelming majority of the General Assembly members who represent Fairfax voted against it.\"

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Her move stops an effort by some state lawmakers to advance the project despite resistance at the county level. We previously reported how the proposal became a flashpoint in Richmond, with supporters arguing a referendum would let voters decide, while opponents said it ignored the standard process used elsewhere in Virginia.

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Under current law, local governments typically take the lead by asking a court to authorize a referendum after the state designates them as eligible casino sites. This has been used in multiple cities since lawmakers opened the door to casino development in 2020.

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Spanberger argues Fairfax casino issue centers on local control

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Spanberger argued the bill would have broken from that pattern by forcing a vote where local leaders do not want one. She also objected to language that would have allowed state lawmakers to dictate the exact location of a casino within the county.

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\"In no other circumstance has the General Assembly prescribed specifications for a casino's location,\" said Spanberger. \"This effectively precludes local input and eliminates local decisions. While this legislation specifically affects only Fairfax County, it would set a precedent to bring casino referendums to other localities where the local governing board may similarly oppose such an effort.\"

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Several cities have already approved casinos through referendums, while others have rejected them. At the same time, new projects are moving forward, including a recently launched effort in Petersburg where developers have broken ground on a major casino resort expected to bring jobs and tax revenue.

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Spanberger used the moment to renew her call for a more unified regulatory system, saying the state still lacks a single independent authority to oversee the expanding industry. For now, the Fairfax proposal remains in limbo.

\nFeatured image: Ezra Deutsch-Feldman via WikiCommons / CC BY-SA 4.0
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