Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians Shuts Preview Casino in Vallejo Following Federal Gaming Eligibility Withdrawal

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians closed its temporary Preview Casino in Vallejo, California, late on August 3 and into the early hours of August 4, 2026, after the U.S. Department of the Interior withdrew gaming eligibility for the trust parcel, and the action came swiftly following the regulatory notice that cited insufficient historical connection to the site.

More than 100 workers lost their positions immediately when operations halted, and the tribe described the decision as inconsistent with prior administrative findings along with a 2025 federal court ruling that had addressed similar eligibility questions.

Sequence of Events Leading to Closure

Operations at the Preview Casino stopped without advance warning once the Interior Department issued its determination, and tribal officials responded by announcing plans to file a new lawsuit challenging the withdrawal, while the facility itself had served as a temporary gaming location pending further development steps on the trust land.

The regulatory notice focused on the parcel's historical ties, and the Department concluded that evidence did not establish the necessary connection required under federal Indian gaming standards, which triggered the immediate shutdown of all gaming activities at the site.

Tribal Response and Legal Context

Tribal leaders stated that the move contradicted earlier federal assessments and the outcome of the 2025 court case, and they indicated the new litigation would seek to restore eligibility and address what they viewed as an abrupt reversal of established positions.

The 2025 ruling had examined questions around the same trust parcel, and observers note that the tribe had relied on those findings to proceed with the temporary casino operations that employed the local workforce until the August 2026 notice arrived.

Regulatory Background and Historical Connection Standard

Federal standards require tribes to demonstrate historical ties to land placed into trust for gaming purposes, and the Department applied that test to the Scotts Valley Band's Vallejo parcel before issuing the withdrawal, and the resulting notice ended eligibility despite the tribe's prior reliance on earlier approvals.

Those earlier findings had supported the opening of the temporary facility, while the 2025 court decision further reinforced the tribe's position at the time, and the August 2026 reversal introduced a new determination that the historical connection evidence fell short of the required threshold.

Next Steps Outlined by the Tribe

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians confirmed it will pursue litigation to contest the eligibility withdrawal, and the filing is expected to reference both the inconsistency with previous administrative records and the 2025 federal court outcome as central arguments in the case.

Legal preparations began immediately after the closure notice, and the tribe indicated that restoring gaming eligibility on the trust parcel remains the primary objective of the upcoming lawsuit.

Conclusion

The closure of the Preview Casino marks a direct result of the Interior Department's August 2026 decision on gaming eligibility for the Vallejo trust parcel, and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians has moved forward with plans for new legal action while more than 100 jobs ended without further notice, and the situation continues to center on the dispute over historical connection standards and prior federal determinations.