A letter endorsed by over 100 ex-members of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and various retired officials from the government’s intelligence community appeals to state legislators in Richmond to prevent a move to establish a casino in Northern Virginia, citing worries that such a facility might jeopardize national security.
Critics of gambling frequently point to similar reasons for their stance, arguing that the games can be addictive and result in financial difficulties, which in turn create societal problems such as divorce, relationship strain, and even suicide. A fresh theory is surfacing in Northern Virginia as those against a casino in Tysons claim that a Las Vegas-like destination could jeopardize the nation's national security interests.
The CIA's headquarters are located in Langley, Fairfax County. The 258-acre campus is located approximately five air miles from the site of the proposed Tysons casino.
"The proximity of a Tysons casino to a significant population of government, military, and contract officials with access to highly secretive government intelligence, diplomatic, and defense information will not only attract organized crime — casinos always do — but also adversarial intelligence services looking to recruit those with such access whom they hope to blackmail,” the letter from a group called National Security Leaders for Fairfax read. “With the Washington D.C. area having the greatest concentration of the most sensitive security clearances in the country, we urge you to immediately and categorically reject the proliferation of gambling establishments in Northern Virginia, and at Tysons in particular, as posing an unacceptable health and national security hazard, whose socioeconomic costs significantly outweigh any short-term increase in revenue.”
Patch initially reported on the letter from the National Security Leaders addressed to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R), and all members of the Virginia General Assembly. It was endorsed by 109 individuals who previously worked in defense and national security agencies.
New Tysons Titleholder
Virginia Sen. David Marsden (D-Fairfax) has spearheaded efforts in past legislative sessions to classify Fairfax County as a location for a casino. Next year, the legislation will shift when Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Mount Vernon) assumes control. Mount Vernon is an unincorporated area designated for census purposes located within Fairfax County.
A casino measure would enable residents of Fairfax County to determine if a gaming resort benefits the community. Although local leaders, such as most members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, along with homeowners’ associations and the majority of state legislators representing the area, are against it, numerous unions have voiced their support for the initiative.
Marsden and Surovell assert that voters ought to have the ultimate authority and be permitted to evaluate new sources of tax revenue due to a declining property tax base. Tysons and the adjacent McLean are primarily recognized as corporate centers housing the headquarters of numerous international companies. However, a significant amount of office space stays unoccupied after the pandemic since certain companies granted employees the option to work from home permanently.
Fairfax's National Security Leaders indicate that Tysons and McClean being significant corporate hubs poses additional threats, since essential defense and intelligence firms such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, BAE, and Booz Allen operate in the area.
Bettors Should Not Inquire
Leaders in National Security from Fairfax express in their letter against a casino in Northern Virginia that federal employees and those with security clearances risk losing their clearances if their involvement in gambling leads to financial difficulties at home.
The National Intelligence Agency states that "obtaining loans or participating in major financial deals to support gambling or settle gambling debts" is reason enough for termination from a job. Individuals who hide their gambling debts or other issues resulting from their gambling encounter comparable repercussions.
It’s important to mention that MGM National Harbor, a $1.4 billion casino resort, has been functioning directly across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. since December 2016. As far as Casino.org is aware, the casino has not led to many federal employees developing a gambling addiction.
