The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians was forced to close a temporary Casino in Vallejo just days after it opened. The temporary casino featured a handful of gaming machines inside trailers.
It was intended as a trial run for the tribe’s proposed $700 million resort and casino development.
The Department of the Interior provides federal oversight for Indian gaming. It ruled that the Vallejo property was not eligible for a casino, because the tribe failed to prove a significant historical connection to the site.
The 39-page opinion almost reads like a history book, including treaty documents, maps, and church and census records. Much of it centers on the life of Chief Augustine, an ancestor of many Scotts Valley tribal members. He lived and worked in the North Bay in the 1800s.
Still, the Department of the Interior concluded the required historical connection to the Vallejo property was not established.
The closest tribal casino to San Francisco is San Pablo Lytton Casino in the East Bay. The proposed Vallejo casino would have opened about 20 minutes away.
According to court filings submitted by Lytton Rancheria of California, the Scotts Valley proposal could have reduced the San Pablo casino’s revenue.
Tribal Chairman for Lytton Rancheria Andy Mejia told KALW the tribe’s position “has never been about competition,” but about ensuring “the same legal standards apply to every tribe and every project.”
In an emailed statement, the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians said “we will move quickly to challenge the decision in federal court.”
