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Interior Department rules against proposed Bay Area casino; gaming suspended at new preview facility

Sunday, August 2, 2026 3:27 PM
Image aggregated from Vallejo Times-Herald.
  • Thomas Gase, Vallejo Times-Herald

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians took a hit Friday afternoon with a major ruling against the tribe’s proposed casino in Vallejo.

Department of the Interior and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Kirkland III ruled that the tribe lacked a significant historical connection to the land to qualify under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s restored lands exception.

Scotts Valley’s proposed 160-acre casino would include the construction of 24 single-family residences, a tribal administration building, a parking garage, and a 45-acre biological preserve area located within and adjacent to the city boundary in Solano County, near the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 37.