Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians Ends Vallejo Preview Casino Run After Federal Reversal

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians shut down its temporary Preview Casino in Vallejo, California, on the eighth day after opening when the U.S. Department of the Interior reversed its earlier determination on gaming eligibility for the tribe’s trust parcel, and the closure took effect after just seven days of invitation-only operations that began July 25, 2026.

Officials with the tribe confirmed the shutdown stemmed directly from the federal action that withdrew approval under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s restored lands exception, and the decision cited a lack of sufficient historical connection between the tribe and the Vallejo parcel as the key factor in the reversal.

Timeline of the Brief Operation

The Preview Casino opened July 25, 2026, as a limited, invitation-only venue designed to test operations ahead of the larger planned development, yet the facility closed its doors within a week once the Department of the Interior issued its updated determination, and tribal representatives moved quickly to comply with the new federal stance while preparing further legal steps.

Staff at the site completed an orderly wind-down of the short-lived operation, and all gaming activity ceased by early August 2026, leaving the temporary structure inactive while the tribe evaluated its options for the broader project that had been in development for several years.

The Department of the Interior Reversal

The U.S. Department of the Interior reversed its prior finding on gaming eligibility for the Vallejo trust parcel after re-examining the historical ties required under the restored lands exception of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and the updated determination concluded that the parcel did not meet the necessary criteria for restored land status. The decision reversing gaming approval directly affected the tribe’s ability to conduct gaming on the site, prompting the immediate closure of the Preview Casino and placing the entire development on hold.

Legal summaries of the reversal note that the Department applied the statutory requirements more stringently in this instance, and the tribe received formal notification that gaming operations could not proceed on the parcel under the restored lands provision, which triggered the swift shutdown of the temporary facility.

Observers tracking the case point out that the Department’s action came after an initial approval had allowed the preview operations to move forward, yet a subsequent review produced the reversal that ended the short test period, and the tribe has indicated it will seek judicial review of the new determination in federal court.

Scope of the Larger Development Project

The Preview Casino represented the first phase of a planned $700 million resort that included an eight-story casino building, hotel components, and additional amenities on the Vallejo trust parcel, and the federal reversal has suspended progress on all elements of that larger project while the tribe pursues its legal challenge.

Project documents describe a comprehensive resort complex intended to feature expanded gaming floors, lodging facilities, dining and entertainment venues, and supporting infrastructure, yet none of those components can advance until the gaming eligibility question receives final resolution through the courts or further administrative action.

Tribal leaders have stated that the full development remains a priority, and they continue to coordinate with legal counsel to prepare the federal court filing that will contest the Department of the Interior’s reversal on the restored lands determination.

Legal Path Forward

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians plans to file a challenge in federal court contesting the Department of the Interior’s withdrawal of gaming eligibility for the Vallejo parcel, and the lawsuit will focus on whether the agency properly applied the historical connection standards under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s restored lands exception.

Court filings are expected to argue that the parcel qualifies for gaming use under the statute, and the tribe will seek to reinstate the earlier eligibility finding that allowed the Preview Casino to open in July 2026, while the federal government will defend its revised determination during the litigation process.

Conclusion

The closure of the Preview Casino after seven days marks a significant pause in the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ Vallejo development plans, and the outcome of the planned federal court challenge will determine whether the $700 million resort project can resume or whether further administrative steps will be required before gaming operations can proceed on the trust parcel.