Tiny U.S. Tribe Faces Opposition Over $600 Million Casino Project

A small, landless tribe in Northern California, the Koi Nation, is facing resistance as it pushes forward with plans to build a $600 million casino in Sonoma County, Olga R. Romualdez reported for the Associated Press (AP).

If approved, the land trust designation would allow the Koi Nation to move forward with the casino project on valuable real estate in Northern California’s wine country. I Photo: Koi Nation Sonoma

For decades, the Koi Nation, a tribe of just 96 members, has sought to acquire land and open a casino, hoping to tap into the lucrative gaming market enjoyed by many other tribes.

The dream seemed out of reach until a 2019 federal court ruling allowed the tribe to find a financial partner, the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, which owns the largest casino in the world.

In 2021, the Koi Nation purchased a 68-acre parcel in Sonoma County for $12.3 million and is now waiting for a decision from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on whether the land will be placed into a trust.

If approved, the land trust designation would allow the Koi Nation to move forward with the casino project on valuable real estate in Northern California’s wine country.

The case comes amid broader efforts by the U.S. government to atone for the historic displacement of Indigenous peoples, with legal mechanisms that enable tribes to regain ancestral lands or place new lands into trust if they can prove a significant historical connection to the area.