
Judge Denies Graton’s Attempt to Block Koi Casino
A federal judge in California has denied an attempt by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria to block the approval of the Koi Nation’s proposed casino project near Windsor. The Biden administration approved the project Jan. 13.
Early plans call for a casino with 2,750 slots, 105 tables, a 400-room hotel and more. The tribe first requested that the land be put into trust in 2021. If all goes to plan, construction is tentatively slated to start in 2026 and last for 18-24 months.
As with another casino project from the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in Vallejo that was recently approved, detractors have accused the outgoing Biden administration of fast-tracking tribal casino projects in advance of Donald Trump taking office Jan. 20. Aspects of the approval process, especially those related to environmental impact, have come under scrutiny for several projects, as have provisions related to off-reservation casinos.
“The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria is disappointed by the court’s decision, which allows Interior to proceed with a final decision on the Koi Nation’s off-reservation casino project despite the federal government’s clear failure to consult with tribes,” Graton Chair Greg Sarris said, per the Press Democrat. “We call on President (Joe) Biden and (Interior Department) Secretary (Deb) Haaland to allow consultation to continue in the next administration rather than setting a dangerous precedent and undermining four years of unfulfilled promises to respect tribal sovereignty.”
DOI Approves Pomo Indians’ Vallejo Casino
On Jan. 10, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) agreed to move land into trust for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ $700 million casino project in Vallejo, Calif. The 160-acre project is slated to include a 400,000-square-foot casino, 24 residential units, a tribal building, a 45-acre biological preserve and more. The tribe first applied to the DOI in 2016, and the Vallejo City Council in November passed a resolution allowing the city to negotiate a Cooperative Agreement with the tribe.
“This is a special day for the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians,” said Pomo Chairman Shawn Davis, per the Times-Herald. “For at least three decades we have been trying to reclaim our community. This allows our people to have a home and to have economic development for us and for our neighbors.”
The project is not without opposition. One of its biggest detractors is the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which operates the Cache Creek casino nearby. The Yocha have been especially critical of the environmental review process for the project, which it has called inadequate.
“We are deeply disappointed and disheartened to see this decision from the Biden Administration. It is difficult to believe that a group of politicians who claim to care about respecting tribal rights and sovereignty would give away historic Patwin homelands without ever consulting us. The hypocrisy is staggering,” Yocha Dehe Chairman Anthony Roberts said in a statement. “We were excited and hopeful when Secretary Haaland was appointed but her legacy is irreparably tarnished by this shameful, illegal decision. For Tribes like ours, nothing is more important than our ancestral homelands. To see our land and cultural resources taken away for the benefit of wealthy investors is painful beyond words.”
Card Rooms to Provide Surveillance Footage in Lawsuit with CA Tribes
California’s card rooms have agreed to provide overhead surveillance footage of their table games in the ongoing lawsuit with the state’s gaming tribes.
According to court filings, the card rooms have agreed to provide surveillance footage of the games currently under scrutiny, referred to as “Subject Games.”
This footage is to come from operations on Dec. 28, 2024 from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. If that footage is incomplete for whatever reason, additional footage is to be taken from Dec. 31. If neither of those dates work, the parties “will meet and confer as soon as possible regarding
additional footage” that may be preserved.
Notably, all footage will be “limited to the cameras that provide an overhead view of the Subject Games.” Judge Lauri A. Darnell approved the order Jan. 14. The lawsuit, filed by a coalition of seven tribes Jan. 2, is being heard in Sacramento Superior Court.
Newest Seminole Casino to Open Feb. 6
Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino will host its grand opening Feb. 6, with festivities starting at 10 a.m. before the doors open at noon, the casino announced. Brighton Bay is the sixth casino for the powerful Florida tribe and is set to feature 640 slots and 18 tables, including high-limit and smoke-free areas. It replaces Seminole Casino Brighton, which opened in 1980.
“We are all eagerly awaiting our official opening on Feb. 6,” Seminole Brighton Bay General Manager Marty Johns said in a statement. “It will be such a special moment for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Brighton Seminole Reservation and the entire region. This new resort is expected to increase the number of tourists to the area, which is especially important. We are excited to offer a new level of gaming, dining and entertainment.”