Publication
Department of the Interior Reverses Gaming Approval for Scotts Valley Band’s Vallejo Casino
The roller coaster ride continues for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ proposed casino near Vallejo, California. After receiving approval for the casino in January of 2025, the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) revoked its prior approval on July 30, 2026.
In the DOI’s final determination concerning gaming eligibility for the land where the casino was to be located near the gateway to California’s wine country, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William H. Kirkland III concluded in a 39-page decision that the Tribe failed to demonstrate a sufficient “historical connection” to the Vallejo property under the “restored lands” exception of the Federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The decision halts the Tribe’s plans for a $700 million casino-resort on approximately 160 acres in Solano County. “I have determined the Band has not demonstrated the requisite significant historical connection,” Kirkland stated. “Consequently, the Vallejo parcel does not qualify as restored lands within the meaning of applicable law, and the Band may not conduct gaming on the parcel pursuant to [IGRA’s] restored lands exception.”
The Tribe’s federal recognition was restored in 1991 as part of a lawsuit settlement, but no land was formally set aside for the Tribe at that time. The Tribe started its quest for trust lands in August 2016, submitting an application asking the DOI to acquire a parcel of land in Vallejo for the benefit of the Tribe. The DOI initially denied the Tribe’s restored lands request, finding insufficient historical connection to the Vallejo site. After the Tribe challenged the finding, the District of Columbia Federal Court determined in September 2022 that the 2019 denial was “arbitrary and capricious”. The matter was remanded to the DOI for reconsideration.
On January 10, 2025, the DOI issued a new decision approving the land for gaming purposes under the restored lands exception. This approval came in the final days of the Biden administration and cleared the way for the Tribe to pursue its proposed gaming facility and resort. Neighboring tribes, including the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, Lytton Rancheria, and United Auburn Indian Community, immediately filed legal challenges to the January 2025 approval. Shortly thereafter, the Trump administration temporarily rescinded the gaming eligibility determination and announced a formal review and reconsideration of the January 2025 decision. The recent revocation of the prior approval occurred just one week after the Tribe opened a temporary “preview” casino at 200 Columbus Parkway in Vallejo. As a result, the Tribe has suspended its gaming operations and has announced plans to file suit against the DOI over the decision. It is likely the opposing tribes will intervene in any litigation.
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