Interior Department Blocks $700 Million Vallejo Casino Project

The United States Department of the Interior ruled on August 1, 2026, that the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians lacks the significant historical connection to a 160-acre site in Vallejo, California, necessary to qualify for the restored lands exception under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This decision effectively blocks a proposed $700 million complex that would have featured a 24-hour casino, residences, and a biological preserve.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Kirkland III issued the ruling after the department conducted a reconsideration process, acknowledging that a previous approval may have been based on a legal error. Following the announcement, the tribe suspended operations at a limited preview casino facility in Vallejo.

Shawn Davis, Chairman of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, expressed disappointment and announced that the tribe will challenge the decision in federal court. Conversely, the ruling was welcomed by the Lytton Rancheria of California and the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, both of which opposed the project on the grounds that it threatened ancestral Patwin lands and environmental resources.