Scotts Valley Band Ends Preview Casino Run in Vallejo Following Eligibility Withdrawal

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians closed its Preview Casino in Vallejo, California, effective late Sunday night on August 2–3, 2026, after the U.S. Department of the Interior withdrew gaming eligibility for the tribe’s Vallejo trust parcel, and the temporary facility had operated briefly to demonstrate viability for a larger resort while employing over 100 people before operations halted immediately following the federal notice that cited insufficient historical connection to the site.

Background on the Temporary Facility

The Preview Casino served as a short-term demonstration project meant to showcase operational capacity and economic potential ahead of a proposed full-scale resort development on the same trust land, and the tribe positioned the venue as an initial step toward broader gaming infrastructure that would eventually include expanded amenities and additional employment opportunities in the Vallejo area.

Local economic observers noted that the facility opened with a limited number of gaming positions and support services, yet it quickly became a source of steady work for more than 100 residents from surrounding communities, and payroll records from the brief operating period reflected regular shifts across table games, slots, and hospitality roles.

The Federal Reversal and Immediate Shutdown

Officials at the Department of the Interior determined that the Vallejo trust parcel lacked sufficient historical connection to the Scotts Valley Band under current federal criteria for gaming eligibility, and the reversal notice arrived without prior public warning, prompting the tribe to instruct managers to cease all gaming activity by midnight on August 2, 2026.

Staff received termination notices effective the following morning, and security personnel secured the premises while gaming machines and tables remained in place pending further legal or administrative action, and the sudden closure left the property in a state of suspended animation with signage still visible from nearby streets.

Tribe’s Legal Response

Representatives for the Scotts Valley Band announced plans to file a new federal lawsuit challenging the reversal, and attorneys intend to argue that the parcel meets restored lands criteria under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act while presenting additional historical documentation that the Department had not fully considered during its review.

The forthcoming complaint will seek to reinstate gaming eligibility and allow the temporary facility to reopen during litigation, and tribal leaders have indicated they will request expedited consideration from the court given teh immediate economic impact on more than 100 households in the region.

Operational Details and Employment Impact

During its short run the Preview Casino maintained standard gaming hours and offered a core selection of slot machines plus several table games, and revenue figures released internally showed steady foot traffic from both local residents and visitors traveling along the Interstate 80 corridor, and the operation followed all state and federal reporting requirements until the eligibility notice arrived.

Human resources records indicate that the workforce included dealers, cashiers, security officers, food and beverage staff, and maintenance personnel drawn primarily from Solano County, and many of those employees had relocated or adjusted schedules specifically for positions at the new venue.

Next Steps for the Property and the Tribe

With gaming operations suspended, the tribe has begun evaluating options for non-gaming uses of the facility while litigation proceeds, and property managers continue to pay utility and security costs to preserve the building for potential future reactivation, and tribal council members have scheduled community meetings to discuss support programs for affected workers during the interim period.

Conclusion

The closure of the Preview Casino marks a significant pause in the Scotts Valley Band’s development timeline for its Vallejo trust parcel, yet the planned lawsuit offers a clear path for continued legal engagement with federal regulators, and outcomes from the forthcoming case will determine whether the temporary facility can resume operations or whether longer-term planning must shift to alternative sites or uses.