California Tribe’s $700M Casino Project Receives Approval

A landmark decision by the US Department of Interior cleared the path for a casino project by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians.

Federal Approval Granted for Proposed Scotts Valley $700M Casino

Nearly a decade ago, in 2016, the Tribe sought approval for getting approximately 160 acres of land in Vallejo into trust with the intention of build a casino on the site. In 2019, the proposed Vallejo casino project faced a rejection, but a judge ordered the matter to return for consideration. At the time, District Judge Amy Berman-Jackson recognized the rejection as “capricious” and “arbitrary.”

On Friday, the Pomo Indians finally received federal approval from the Department of Interior, clearing a major hurdle for its proposed $700 million casino resort project, Times-Herald reports. The approval was signed by the Department’s principal deputy assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, Wizipan Garriott. This week, the process is expected to be finalized after the decision is listed in the Federal Register.

The Department of Interior’s decision follows an approval of the Vallejo City Council in November. While the Pomo Indians see the latest landmark decision as a win, not everyone agrees with the project that proposes the development of a 400,000-square-foot casino in Scotts Valley.

The Proposed Project Faces Opposition

Opponents of the Vallejo casino project argue that the Tribe failed to prove its cultural ties to the land that needed to be taken into trust. The opponents of the $700 million casino project are tribes such as the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, among others.

Back in 2024, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation said about the proposed casino project: “In their haste to justify Scotts Valley’s Project, the document’s preparers have glossed over, dismissed, or entirely failed to address obviously significant impacts to cultural resources, protected species, wetlands, water, air quality, traffic, and environmental justice, among others.” It is worth noting that the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation operates a casino resort and doesn’t want to compete with the Pomo Indians.

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation said last week that it was “disappointed and disheartened” with the latest decision. The federal tribe also bashed the decision of the agency, saying: “The hypocrisy is staggering.”

The Project Is Important for the Pomo Indians

Unlike the opponents of the project, the Pomo Indians recognized the Department of Interior’s decision as a “special day for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians.” In the words of the Tribe’s chairman, Shawn Davis, it has been trying to reclaim its community for 30 years. “This allows our people to have a home and to have economic development for us and for our neighbors,” Davis added.

Provided that there are no further legal implications, the Pomo Indians plan to build not only a casino but family residences. Part of the 160 acres of land will also be used for a new tribal administration building, a biological preserve, as well as parking and other amenities.

The massive project with a price tag of $700 million is expected to serve as a major economic stimulus for the Pomo Indians. The building of the proposed Vallejo casino will create temporary building jobs, as well as thousands of permanent workplaces.