Real estate company Comstock is seeking to develop a casino in Reston, where it owns 80 acres of land near the Wiehle-Reston East Metro station.
However, Virginia law currently permits gambling in five cities and has opened casinos in Bristol, Portsmouth and Danville, with a pending Norfolk casino and a Richmond development on the upcoming November ballot.
According to local reports, Comstock has shared plans with ‘several local officials.’ However, the Virginia General Assembly, as well as local voters must approve the operation of a casino in Fairfax County.
State Senator Dave Marsden and State Delegate Wren Williams both attempted to introduce bills in January this year which would make any county in Virginia with over one million residents eligible to apply for a casino gaming venue. Fairfax County is the only one that meets this population requirement.
The legislation also stated that the proposed casino site must be within one-quarter mile of an existing Metro Silver Line station, part of a coordinated mixed-use development, outside the Dulles International Airport flight path and outside the Interstate 495 Beltway. Neither bill was moved forward, but if Marsden is re-elected he plans to reintroduce his legislation.
State Senator Jennifer Boysko, who is currently campaigning to represent Reston, Herndon, Great Falls and McLean, has said that she is “aware that Comstock would like a casino at the Reston station" but is “strongly opposed.”
In August, the Virginia Lottery released revenue data for its three casinos, which brought in $55.1m. Since two of the state’s three casinos opened in 2023, there is no year-on-year data on which to reflect.
