Vallejo Casino Hits Snag as DOI to ‘Reconsider’ Scotts Valley Decision

• DOI halts casino approval, citing legal review under IGRA
• Competing tribes challenge Scotts Valley’s historical land claims
• Scotts Valley defends sovereignty, calls opposition ‘greedy’

The federal government has temporarily rescinded a decision by the Biden administration approving land owned by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians for a controversial $700 million casino in Vallejo, Calif.

In a letter written last week to the Scotts Valley Band and other local tribes, Scott Davis, senior advisor to new Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, said the decision was on hold pending legal analysis of whether the land qualified for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

While the land remains in trust for the tribe, the Gaming Eligibility Decision issued by the outgoing Biden administration on Jan. 10, 2025, was subject to reconsideration, Davis wrote.

The letter, dated March 26, came just days after three Sacramento-area tribes filed federal lawsuits to halt the project.

Lawsuits Fly

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the Kletsel Dehe Band of Wintun Indians, both Patwin tribes, argue that the Scotts Valley Band’s claim of historical connection to the land in Vallejo is false.

As part of its trust application, the Scotts Valley Band was required to demonstrate “significant” ancestral ties to the land. But in their lawsuit, the two tribes dispute the Scotts Valley’s historical account of lineage linking it to the area, which they say is demonstrably historically Patwin.

The Scotts Valley Band has described the lawsuits as being commercially motivated and “anticompetitive” because two of the tribes operate casinos in the region.

‘Sovereignty Disrespected’

Responding to the Interior Department’s letter, Scotts Valley Band Tribal Chairman Shawn Davis said the reversal of the decision disrespected “the sovereignty of the Scotts Valley Band and is inconsistent with law and appropriate process.”

It is unconscionable to reopen a final determination based solely on the objections of a competitor, especially considering they just repackage previously considered and rejected arguments,” Davis said. “The greed of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation is disgusting. Despite their billions of dollars, they aren’t satisfied. The Scotts Valley Band will not be bullied, and we won’t back down.”

Yocha Dehe Chairman Anthony Roberts told Casino.org in a statement that this was about more than a single project, it was about “ensuring all tribal voices are honored and heard.”

“Nothing is more important than our ancestral homelands, and to see them stripped away without consultation by the Biden administration was extremely painful,” Roberts said. “We applaud Secretary Burgum for beginning the process to right that wrong, and we look forward to working with him to ensure our lands and cultural resources are protected for generations to come.”