Legal Action Against Scotts Valley’s Vallejo Casino Plan

The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation have filed an amicus brief opposing the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ proposed casino in Vallejo. This action follows the Department of the Interior’s recent determination that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act bars Scotts Valley from gaming in Vallejo.

What Happened

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ efforts to establish a casino in Vallejo faced a new challenge with the filing of an amicus brief by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation. The brief advocates for the denial of Scotts Valley’s attempts to enjoin a recent Indian Lands Opinion from the Department of the Interior. This opinion concluded that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) prohibits Scotts Valley from conducting gaming operations in Vallejo, California, as reported by The Mercury News.

The filing advises the court on the historical context of Scotts Valley’s ambition to pursue gaming activities outside its traditional territories. It argues that Scotts Valley is unlikely to succeed in its legal challenge against the Department’s 2026 Indian Lands Opinion. Yocha Dehe Chairman Anthony Roberts stated, “The Department conducted the fair, transparent, fact-based review that we have long advocated for. It considered the evidence from all parties, examined the full record, and reached a conclusion grounded in law and the facts, Scotts Valley has no claim to our Patwin ancestral lands.”

Key Details

• The Department of the Interior’s 2026 Indian Lands Opinion found that the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act bars Scotts Valley from gaming in Vallejo (The Mercury News).
• This 2026 opinion corrected legal errors from a prior 2025 determination, which had improperly excluded evidence from other concerned tribes, including Yocha Dehe and Kletsel Dehe (The Mercury News).
• The proposed $700 million Scotts Valley casino project would encompass 160 acres, including 24 single-family residences, a tribal administration building, a parking garage, and a 45-acre biological preserve (The Mercury News).
• Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Kirkland III ruled that the Scotts Valley tribe lacked a significant historical connection to the land necessary to qualify under IGRA’s restored lands exception (The Mercury News).
• The Lytton Rancheria, the United Auburn Indian Community, and the California governor have also filed briefs supporting the Department’s 2026 determination and opposing Scotts Valley’s injunction attempts (The Mercury News).
• Scotts Valley Chairman Shawn Davis expressed disappointment with the Department’s August decision, stating the administrative record supports the tribe’s gaming eligibility and that they would challenge the decision in federal court (The Mercury News).

Why It Matters

This legal development highlights ongoing regulatory and inter-tribal disputes regarding gaming eligibility and ancestral land claims within the regulated gaming sector. The Department of the Interior’s ruling, which specifically cites a lack of significant historical connection to the proposed site, underscores the stringent requirements for tribal gaming land acquisition under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The broad support from multiple tribes and state authorities for the Department’s 2026 Indian Lands Opinion demonstrates the collective importance placed on adherence to legal frameworks concerning tribal ancestral territories and gaming operations.

What’s Next

Chairman Shawn Davis of the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians indicated in August that the tribe would “move quickly to challenge the decision in federal court,” according to The Mercury News. Scotts Valley’s attempts to enjoin the Department of the Interior’s decision are expected to proceed in the legal system, with the amicus briefs from supporting tribes and state entities urging the court to deny these injunctions.

Originally reported by The Mercury News·Published 9 Sep 2026, 21:07