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Koi Nation, Scotts Valley Casino Projects Face Critical Federal Court Battles September 29, 2026 - Koi Nation and Scotts Valley casino projects face critical federal court battles over trust land and gaming eligibility in Northern California. ... Read more 2026 California Tribal Casino News Archive
Archived news items originally published in 2026.
This page contains archived news updates for California tibal casinos in 2026.These items were originally posted on the casino's profile page and have been preserved here as part ofthe 500 Nations legacy news archive. Major stories from this year may also appear as standalone articlesin the main News section.
➤ 2026 Headline News
September 2026
Koi Nation, Scotts Valley Casino Projects Face Critical Federal Court Battles September 29, 2026 - Koi Nation and Scotts Valley casino projects face critical federal court battles over trust land and gaming eligibility in Northern California. ... Read more 
Newsom signs four bills ratifying gaming agreements with six California tribes September 2026 - The state-tribe gaming compacts are now officially extended and expanded for the Agua Caliente, Yurok, Chumash and Pechanga tribes. ... Read more 
Pechanga authorized for 1,000 additional gaming machines September 23, 2026 - The Pechanga Band of Indians will be authorized to operate an additional 1,000 gaming machines under a newly ratified gaming compact amendment with the State ... Read more 
Agua Caliente Secures Long-Term Gaming Compact Extension Through 2061 September 22, 2026 - California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation approving an amended tribal-state gaming compact with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians adding 500 slot ... Read more 
Red Hawk Casino Opens New Bingo Hall Sept. 21 September 20, 2026 - Red Hawk Resort + Casino will open its new 4,600-square-foot bingo hall Sept. 21, marking a milestone in a larger expansion that includes a new gaming pavilion and transition to a smoke-free ... Read more 
Hard Rock Casino Tejon Phase 2 Expansion Advances With Hotel, Hard Rock Live Venue and Resort Amenities September 19, 2026 - Phase 2 expansion will add a 400-room hotel, Hard Rock Live entertainment venue, resort pool complex, Rock Spa, and new dining ... Read more 
What's Next for Win-River Casino Relocation? September 14, 2026 - The Redding Rancheria's long-planned relocation of Win-River Resort & Casino remains on hold despite receiving federal approval in 2024. With legal challenges still pending, the next phase of the project will ... Read more 
More California Tribes Join Fight Against Scotts Valley Vallejo Casino Project as Federal Court Battle Intensifies September 11, 2026 - Opposition to the Scotts Valley Vallejo casino continues to grow as additional tribes enter the federal court battle ... Read more 
Ninth Circuit Hears Arguments in High-Stakes Graton-Koi Casino Dispute September 6. 2026 - The Ninth Circuit heard appeals on Sept. 1 involving Graton Rancheria, Koi Nation and federal approval of a disputed land-into-trust transaction ... Read more 
North Fork Casino Faces Fresh Legal Attack Ahead of October Opening Sept 4, 2026 - The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians has filed another federal lawsuit aimed at stopping the planned opening of the North Fork Mono Casino & Resort in Madera County ... Read more North Fork Mono Casino Targets October Opening Despite Missing State Approval August 26, 2026 - The long-delayed North Fork Mono Casino is targeting an October 2026 opening, even as the project continues to lack state approval for Class III gaming ... Read more 
Koi Nation's Shiloh Resort & Casino Project Remains Fully Blocked August 15, 2026 - Recent federal actions that have left the tribe without trust land, without gaming eligibility, and without a path forward unless its appeal succeeds at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ... Read more 
Scotts Valley Band Moves Toward New Federal Lawsuit After Latest Casino Approval Revocation August 11, 2026 - The tribe is is preparing to file a new federal lawsuit after the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a fresh reversal of the tribe?s gaming eligibility determination ... Read more 
Preview Casino Shuts Down After Interior's Reversal, Leaving Vallejo Project in Limbo August 5, 2026 - The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians has closed its Preview Casino following a sudden federal decision to withdraw gaming eligibility for the ... Read more 
Graton Resort & Casino: August 2026 Construction Update August 4, 2026 - Graton is entering a two-year period of major vertical construction - a 240-room hotel tower, a large-format entertainment venue, and continued gaming expansion ... Read more 
Caesars Republic Sonoma County Hits One-Year Mark as Resort Build Advances Toward 2027 Opening August 3, 2026 - The project broke ground on August 2, 2025, initiating a complete rebuild of the existing River Rock Casino site ... Read more 
Scotts Valley Casino Plan in Vallejo rejected by U.S. Interior Dept. August 2, 2026 - The DOI has rejected Scotts Valley's bid for Class III gaming on its Vallejo trust land, ruling the tribe lacks the required historical connection to the site ... Read more July 2026
Wilton Rancheria Seeks 90 Acres of Sky River Casino Land for Federal Trust July 27, 2026 - A new federal trust initiative involving 90 acres surrounding Sky River Casino, adding a major milestone to the tribe's 2011-2026 land restoration and economic development ... Read more 
Scotts Valley Band Quietly Opens Temporary Gaming Hall in Vallejo July 25, 2026 - The tribe's temporary casino in Vallejo officially opened yesterday as a "preview venue" in a $700M casino project under process reconsideration by the federal DOI ... Read more 
California Approves Fort Mojave Gaming Compact - Development plans still undisclosed July 25, 2026 - The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe has secured a new California Class III gaming compact, but no casino sites or development plans have been announc ... Read more 
CaliforniaToday, Yuhaaviatam of the San Manuel Nation Celebrates 40 Years of Tribal Gaming in California and Las Vegas July 24, 2026 - The Yuhaaviatam tribe owns the Yaamava' Casino and the Palms in Las ... Read more
Eagle Mountain Casino Expansion Enters Full Resort Construction Phase - 2026 Update July 12, 2026 - The project, which broke ground on July 1, 2025, marks the second phase of the tribe's relocation to its new Porterville ... Read more 
The Heights Casino Development Update - Trinidad Rancheria Advances Hotel and Infrastructure Projects July 7, 2026 - The centerpiece of the Rancheria's development program is a five-story, 100-room Hyatt Place hotel ... Read more 
California Court Strikes Down Blackjack Ban, Major Blow to Tribal Gaming Exclusivity July 1, 2026 - The decision halts a regulatory strategy tribes have relied on for more than two decades to challenge cardroom blackjack. Without the regulations, cardrooms retain a major ... Read more June 2026
Agua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage Hotel Renovation Status - June 2026 June 30, 2026 - The $60M renovation of Aqua Caliente Casino Rancho Mirage's 340-room hotel tower is continuing in phases through 2026 ... Read more 
Win-River Casino Relocation Status | June 2026 June 29, 2026 - The Redding Rancheria reaffirmed that the relocation project remains on track despite ongoing litigation. A court ruling is expected later this year and construction ... Read more 
Graton Resort & Casino: What's Still Coming in Its $1 Billion Expansion June 27, 2026 - Construction is entering its most transformative phase, shifting from gaming-floor growth to a multi-year build-out of new hotel capacity, major entertainment ... Read more 
Can North Fork Mono Casino Still Open This Fall Without State Approval? June 22, 2026 - With construction advancing on the long-delayed North Fork Mono Casino project, one question now dominates the conversation: ... Read more 
Vallejo City Council Approves MOU With Scotts Valley Tribe, Advancing Temporary Class II Casino Toward Opening June 21, 2026 - The Vallejo City Council has approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Scotts Valley Tribe ... Read more 
North Fork Mono Casino Launches Hiring Push for 1,500+ Jobs Ahead of Fall 2026 Opening June 20, 2026 - The North Fork Mono Casino has opened its doors to hire 1,500 new workers before its planned opening this Fall 2026. ... Read more 
Shiloh Casino & Resort Project Remains Blocked as Federal Review Stalls June 14, 2026 - The Koi Nation's proposed $600M casino project remains fully stalled nearly nine months after a federal judge overturned ... Read more 
Sky River Casino Expansion Update - June 2026 June 13, 2026 - As of June 2026, the multi-year expansion program at Sky River is fully underway, positioning Sky River as a future full-scale resort destination in the Sacramento region. ... Read more 
Hard Rock Sacramento Still Targeting 2026 Start for Multi-Billion-Dollar Expansion June 10, 2026 - The multi-phase development will transform 350 acres of newly acquired land into a large-scale entertainment district ... Read more 
Caesars Republic Sonoma County - Construction Update (June 2026) June 8, 2026 - Dry Creek Rancheria is transforming River Rock Casino into Caesars Republic Sonoma County, a new $300M resort now under construction ... Read more 
Sonoma CountyGraton Resort & Casino: What's Still Coming After the May 4 Opening June 3, 2026 - The $1B expansion at Graton Casino was not finished after the May 4 grand opening in this multi-year project. Construction is cont ... Read more
May 2026
El Dorado CountyRed Hawk Casino Expansion Update | May 2026 May 25, 2026 - Red Hawk Casino is accelerating its 2026 expansion with a new bingo hall, a smoking-permitted gaming pavilion, a smoke-free main floor transition, and ... Read more
Solano CountyScotts Valley Tribe Races to Open Temporary Vallejo Casino Amid Regulatory Uncertainty May 16, 2026 - With black modular buildings nearly ready along Hwy 37, the Scotts Valley tribe is racing to open a temp ... Read more
Sonoma CountyNew Dining Venues Open at Graton Resort & Casino May 3, 2026 - Graton Resort & Casino opens three new dining venues inside its smoke-free casino expansion, part of a major investment by the Federated Indians ... Read more
April 2026
Sonoma County
Graton Casino Expansion Opens Monday April 30, 2026 - Graton Resort & Casino will open its major expansion this Monday, May 4, unveiling a new 144,000-square-foot, smoke-free gaming floor that significantly ... Read more 
Madera CountyMadera Casino Construction Continues Under Federal Approval Despite Court Setback April 28, 2026 - The North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians is pressing ahead with construction of its long-planned casino along Highway 99 ... Read more
Sacramento CountySky River Casino Begins Construction on 300-Room Resort Hotel April 27, 2026 - Wilton Rancheria has reached a major milestone in the development of its Sky River Casino property in Elk Grove, announcing the official ... Read more
March 2026
Solano CountyVallejo Temporary Casino | Update April 2026 April 10, 2026 - What happened to the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians plan to open a temporary Vallejo casino last January or early 2026? So far, nothing has happened and an opening date ... Read more
Sacramento CountySky River Casino | Expansion Adds Parking Garage March 26, 2026 - The ongoing expansion project at Sky River Casino achieved another milestone Tuesday with the opening of a new five-level parking garage with 1,600 spaces ... Read more
Sonoma CountyGraton Casino Expansion | Grand Opening May 4 March 22, 2026 - Graton Resort & Casino is undergoing a $1 billion, multi-year expansion project that will open its first phase on May 4. The first phase includes a new 144,000 sq ft, non ... Read more
Kern County Hard Rock Casino Tejon presents guitars to Kern County sheriff, fire chief March 19, 2026 - Hard Rock Casino Tejon has a partnership agreement with Kern County for police and fire protection services to Hard Rock ... Read more 
Sn Diego County Jamul Casino | Jamul Indian Village Documentary March 15, 2026 - Jamul Casino Resort produced this documentary about the Jamul Indian Village in San Diego County, where its ancestors have lived for 12,000 years ... Read more Archived News Articles
Blackjack will be banned in California cardrooms on April 1
February 11, 2026
Blackjack-style games will be banned in California cardrooms beginning April 1. The California Gaming Association says this will eliminate 50% of cardroom revenues.
This week the California Department of Justice (DOJ) announced two new rules with a major impact on cardrooms and their workaround to mimic casino table games using player dealer rotation and third party proposition player services (TPPPS).
[ No Ads ]Blackjack banned from California cardrooms - Courtesy of FOX40 News, Feb 11, 2026. Available from YouTube
Cardroom have been operating game variants of blackjack, baccarat, pai gow, 3-card poker, let-it-ride, and Caribbean stud. The new DOJ rules will ban these games and require the mandatory rotation of the player dealer position effective April 1st.
This is a major legal victory for California tribal casinos. The new rules will resolve the long fought tribal-cardroom disputes and reinforce the tribes' exclusive rights to house banked games
California cardrooms now face major economic decisions, including risks of closures, restructuring of game offerings, and other operational changes.
Sources:
California Department f Justice, Office of Administrative Law Approves DOJ Cardroom Regulations, February 9, 2026
Portions of this article were researched and developed with assistance from Microsoft Copilot (2026).
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