8 Aug 2026
Pomo Tribe's Vallejo Preview Casino Closes After Brief Run Amid Federal Eligibility Reversal
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians opened a temporary Preview Casino in Vallejo on July 25, 2026, and closed the invitation-only facility seven days later after the U.S. Department of the Interior withdrew gaming eligibility for the tribe’s trust parcel in teh city, and the closure halted operations at the site while teh larger development remained on hold.
Timeline of the Short-Lived Operation
The Preview Casino began limited play under strict invitation rules on July 25 and shut down on August 1, 2026, because the Department of the Interior reversed its earlier determination that the Vallejo land qualified for gaming under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s restored lands exception, and the reversal cited insufficient historical connection between the tribe and the parcel, which left the temporary site without legal authority to continue.
Observers noted that the seven-day window marked the only period of public access before the Department of the Interior issued the reversal decision in late July or early August 2026, and the tribe responded by suspending all activity at the Vallejo location.
Details of the Planned Resort Project
The temporary casino formed the initial phase of a proposed $700 million resort that includes an eight-story casino structure, hotel components, and additional amenities, yet the federal reversal placed the entire project in question because the Vallejo trust parcel lost its gaming eligibility status under the restored lands provision of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Project documents describe the full facility as a comprehensive destination with gaming floors, lodging, dining options, and entertainment spaces, while the short-lived Preview Casino served as a test run to gather operational data ahead of permanent construction, and the shutdown interrupted that data collection process.
Legal and Regulatory Background
The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act establishes the restored lands exception that allows certain tribes to conduct gaming on newly acquired land when a historical connection exists, and the Department of the Interior initially approved eligibility for the Scotts Valley Band’s Vallejo parcel before reversing that stance in 2026, and the reversal decision referenced the Department of the Interior analysis that found inadequate ties between the tribe and the specific site.
Legal summaries indicate the agency reviewed historical records, tribal membership data, and geographic evidence before issuing the withdrawal, and the tribe has stated its intent to file a challenge in federal court to contest the reversal and restore the parcel’s gaming status.
Tribe’s Response and Next Steps
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians issued a statement confirming the closure of the Preview Casino and outlined plans to pursue judicial review of the Department of the Interior decision, and the tribe emphasized that the federal court challenge represents the immediate next action to address the eligibility reversal affecting the Vallejo site.
Court filings are expected to argue that the parcel meets the restored lands criteria under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act despite the agency’s updated findings, and the tribe continues to maintain trust status for the land while litigation proceeds.
Broader Context for California Tribal Gaming
California tribes have navigated similar eligibility reviews under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act since the law’s enactment in 1988, and the Scotts Valley Band case illustrates how restored lands determinations can shift during federal evaluation processes, and such shifts directly influence project timelines and financing structures for resort developments.
State and federal coordination on tribal gaming compacts remains ongoing in California, where multiple tribes operate casinos under approved agreements, and the Vallejo reversal adds a new example to the record of administrative decisions that affect land-use planning for gaming facilities.
Conclusion
The closure of the Preview Casino after seven days stands as the immediate outcome of the Department of the Interior’s reversal on gaming eligibility for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ Vallejo parcel, and the tribe’s planned federal court challenge will determine whether the $700 million resort project can advance under current regulatory interpretations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s restored lands exception.