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Scotts Valley Tribe Vows Federal Lawsuit After DOI Revokes Casino Approval

Quick Glance at the Facts

• On July 31, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Interior revoked gaming eligibility for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ proposed $700 million Vallejo casino.
• Tribal Chairman Shawn Davis said the tribe will “move quickly” to challenge the decision in federal court.
• The tribe suspended its recently opened Class II preview casino while pursuing legal action.

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is headed to federal court after the U.S. Department of the Interior revoked gaming eligibility for its Vallejo, California casino site on Friday, July 31, 2026. The decision blocks Class III gaming (slots and table games) at what would have been the tribe’s first casino, an eight-story, $700 million resort in Solano County.

Inside the Interior Department’s Reversal

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Kirkland III ruled that the tribe has not demonstrated a “significant historical connection” to its trust parcel at 200 Columbus Parkway, near Interstate 80 and Highway 37. Because the site does not qualify under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s “restored lands” exception, Class III gaming is off the table unless the tribe wins on appeal. Kirkland offered no opinion on whether the tribe could qualify under a different IGRA exception, the Vallejo Times Herald reported on August 1, 2026.

The decision reverses a prior Biden administration determination. The DOI initially approved gaming eligibility in January 2025 but rescinded that approval in March 2025, according to 500 Nations. The Vallejo Times Herald reported that U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden of the District of Columbia ordered Interior to reconsider in October 2025. The agency acknowledged its original approval may have been based on “legal error,” the Times Herald noted.

Several tribes opposed the project, according to Casino.org. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which operates Cache Creek Casino, argued the site is ancestral Patwin land. The Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation and the United Auburn Indian Community (operator of Thunder Valley Casino Resort) filed a separate lawsuit against the project.

The Tribe’s Federal Court Challenge and Preview Casino

Chairman Shawn Davis said in a statement that the administrative record “overwhelmingly supports the tribe’s gaming eligibility,” Casino.org reported on August 3, 2026. The Vallejo Times Herald reported that Davis said the tribe would “move quickly to challenge the decision in federal court.”

The tribe had opened a Class II preview casino just days before the ruling. This bingo-style electronic gaming operation is allowed on trust land under IGRA without a full eligibility determination. Those gaming operations are now suspended while the tribe pursues its lawsuit. If the tribe wins in court, both the preview casino and the full resort project could move forward.

What This Means for California Players

This decision blocks one proposed land-based tribal Class III casino. It does not change California’s current online gambling options. As of August 2026, the state does not license regulated online casinos. Sweepstakes casinos were banned under AB 831 effective January 1, 2026, as noted in our California gambling guide. For players who want to play slots or table games online, the current route is offshore casino sites.

GamblingNerd Take

We think Solano County players hoping for a new brick-and-mortar casino will be waiting a while. Federal court cases take time, and even a win does not guarantee a quick groundbreaking. If you want to play real-money slots or table games today, check out our guide to real-money online casinos that accept California players.