Scotts Valley Pomo Tribe Sues Interior Dept Over $700M Casino Shutdown

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians launched a preview casino in Vallejo on July 25, but the U.S. Department of the Interior ordered its closure by August 1 after overturning its own 2025 approval. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William H. Kirkland III concluded the property lacked the “significant historical connection” needed to qualify as restored tribal land for gaming purposes. In response, the tribe filed a lawsuit on August 7, arguing the department’s July 30 ruling is arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and prior court decisions.

The legal challenge seeks to reverse the decision and revive the $700 million, 160-acre project that would have featured an eight-story casino, restaurants, bars, a ballroom, a parking garage, residential units, tribal offices, and a 45-acre biological preserve near Interstate 80 and Columbus Parkway. The tribe maintains that the federal reversal jeopardizes a major economic development effort for the community. The case highlights ongoing disputes over tribal land eligibility and the federal approval process for large-scale gaming ventures.