Federal reversal halts $700 million tribal casino preview after one week
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians was forced to close its invitation-only preview casino in Vallejo after the U.S. Department of the Interior withdrew approval for the larger $700 million resort plan.
A preview casino opened by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in Vallejo on July 25 was closed within a week after the U.S. Department of the Interior reversed its earlier approval of the tribe’s $700 million gaming complex. The agency, through Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William H. Kirkland III, concluded that the 160-acre parcel did not qualify as restored tribal land, a prerequisite for gaming under federal law.
The decision halted plans for an eight-story casino, hotels, restaurants, a ballroom, housing and a biological preserve. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, arguing the land lies within historic Patwin territory, had contested the tribe’s claim. Tribal Chairman Shawn Davis announced the band will file a federal lawsuit, asserting the administrative record supports its eligibility. The shutdown comes amid broader disputes over tribal gaming expansion and revenue sharing in California.
Why it matters
The halt stops a major $700 million casino project and highlights ongoing legal battles over tribal land rights and gaming revenue in California.
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