Vallejo council considers casino project MOU worth $1M-plus

It also could mean more than $100,000 a year in support of nonprofits coordinated by the city.

“This memorandum of understanding represents an important step in building a mutually beneficial relationship between the tribe and the city," Tribal Chairman Shawn Davis said in a statement.

"As our Tribe moves forward with the responsible development of our sovereign trust land, the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is working to transform our homeland into a place that brings our members together and creates lasting economic opportunity for Vallejo. We are committed to being a long-term partner to the city and its residents."

The tribe said the MOU would provide the city with more than $400,000 per year for up to three years, plus a one-time $100,000 payment. Additionally, it would commit at least $100,000 per year from the tribe to support local nonprofits, distributed in coordination with the city.

The agreement also includes mitigation measures to address public safety, traffic and infrastructure impacts, and mechanisms for coordination.

“The MOU ensures the taxpayers and the City do not bear new costs and instead achieve a net positive position from this interim facility. While a few competitors have valued their profits over our community and sought to mischaracterize the law and facts, we are moving forward thoughtfully to build a brighter future. This is more than a development project. It is an opportunity to address historic inequities while creating shared prosperity with our neighbors here in Vallejo,” Davis said.

The tribe hopes to develop an eight-story casino that would include restaurants, bars and a ballroom for events on 160.33 acres near the intersection of westbound Interstate 80 and Highway 37. The plans also call for 24 tribal homes and the tribal administration building. A 45-acre biological preserve is part of the vision.

In the meantime, the tribe plans to open a "preview casino," with Class II gaming machines, in the modular buildings already at the site.

The facility would include temporary tribal offices and a limited-scale gaming operation with up to 100 machines in 5,400 square feet of two modular structures. It also would include four restrooms, security stations, 24/7 on-site security personnel, surveillance systems and gaming administration.

"No aspect of the facility requires state or municipal gaming approval, licensing, or oversight. As a federally recognized Indian tribe developing its own trust land, Scotts Valley does not require city approval or an MOU to move forward with the interim development," the tribe stated. "The project can and will proceed under tribal and federal authority. Additionally, the MOU does not govern the larger casino development, which will undergo further study, negotiation, and a separate intergovernmental agreement."

The U.S. Department of the Interior expects to complete its reconsideration of the tribe's gaming eligibility by the end of July. The agency had granted the eligibility in January 2025, but under the newTrump administration, announced that March it would reconsider that decision.

The project faces broad opposition, including from area tribal groups such as the Yocha Dehe Winton Nation, which claims the area as the ancestral home of the Patwin people and their descendants, among whom Yocha Dehe is one.

Yocha Dehe also operates the Cache Creek Casino Resort in Brooks, near Woodland, about 60 miles from the Vallejo site. A number of other tribes with nearby casinos also are in the fight.

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