10 Tribal Casino Land-Into-Trust Battles to Watch in 2027
October 5, 2026
Federal courts and the U.S. Department of the Interior could determine the future of several major tribal casino projects in 2027, with disputes involving trust land, gaming eligibility, restored lands and off-reservation casinos.
Editor's Note: This is an early look at major tribal casino land and gaming-eligibility disputes heading into 2027. 500 Nations will update this report as federal courts, the Interior Department and other agencies take additional action.
With 2027 approaching, several major tribal casino projects are already positioned for consequential decisions in federal courts and at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Some involve active lawsuits over trust land or gaming eligibility, while others are awaiting federal environmental reviews or crucial off-reservation gaming determinations.
Under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, gaming is generally prohibited on lands acquired into trust after October 17, 1988, unless the property qualifies under one of the exceptions provided by federal law. Some off-reservation projects may also require a two-part Secretarial determination and gubernatorial concurrence.
The Interior Department currently lists five major gaming-land matters as pending: the Koi Nation's Shiloh project in California, the Osage Nation's Lake Ozark project in Missouri, the Colville Tribes' Pasco project and Nisqually Tribe's Quiemuth project in Washington, and the Menominee Tribe's Kenosha project in Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, other casino projects face federal litigation that could affect their ability to develop or conduct gaming.
Here are 10 tribal casino land and gaming-eligibility battles to watch as 2027 approaches.
#1 Choice of U.S. Players!Federal Court Battles to Watch
1. Koi Nation Shiloh Resort & Casino | California
Casino Profile: Koi Nation Shiloh Resort & Casino
Issue: Trust acquisition and restored-lands gaming eligibility.
Current Status: The Koi Nation's proposed casino in Sonoma County remains caught in a federal court battle over the government's approval of its Shiloh property. After a federal district court overturned the trust acquisition, the property was removed from federal trust in March 2026. The dispute subsequently reached the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which heard arguments September 1, 2026.
The case involves challenges brought by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and raises questions involving Interior's authority, federal review and the Koi Nation's historical connection to the proposed casino site.
What to Watch in 2027: A Ninth Circuit ruling could determine the next direction of the project and whether further federal court or Interior proceedings are necessary.
Read more about the Koi Nation and Scotts Valley casino court battles
2. Scotts Valley Vallejo Casino | California
Casino Profile: Scotts Valley Vallejo Casino
Issue: Restored-lands gaming eligibility.
Current Status: The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians is challenging the Interior Department's July 30, 2026 decision that its approximately 160-acre Vallejo property does not qualify for gaming under IGRA's restored-lands exception.
The tribe opened a small Preview Casino at the property in July, but gaming stopped after Interior reversed its previous approval. Scotts Valley subsequently sued Interior.
On September 30, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden denied the tribe's request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed gaming to resume while the case proceeds. The ruling keeps the Preview Casino closed for now, but it does not resolve the underlying lawsuit.
What to Watch in 2027: The federal court must still consider Scotts Valley's challenge to Interior's gaming-eligibility decision, making the Vallejo project one of the most immediate tribal gaming cases heading toward 2027.
Read more about the Scotts Valley casino dispute
3. North Fork Mono Casino & Resort | California
Casino Profile: North Fork Mono Casino & Resort
Issue: Gaming eligibility and the validity of California's gubernatorial concurrence.
Current Status: The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians filed another federal lawsuit in 2026 challenging federal actions associated with the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians' off-reservation casino in Madera County.
The dispute centers on whether North Fork retains the state authorization required for its gaming eligibility after California litigation involving the gubernatorial concurrence originally associated with the project.
Picayune argues that federal regulators should not have approved actions allowing the casino to move forward after state courts determined that the earlier gubernatorial concurrence was invalid.
What to Watch in 2027: Federal rulings on the new Chukchansi challenge could address the relationship between federal gaming eligibility and California's subsequent state-court decisions involving the governor's concurrence.
Read the latest North Fork Mono Casino lawsuit coverage
4. Ko-Kwel Casino Resort | Oregon
Casino Profile: Ko-Kwel Casino Resort
Issue: Restored-lands eligibility and the Coquille Restoration Act.
Current Status: The Coquille Indian Tribe received a major federal court victory on September 4, 2026, when U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta upheld Interior's decision to place approximately 2.4 acres in Medford into trust and authorize gaming there.
The challenge was brought by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, the Karuk Tribe and the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation. The court concluded that the Medford property qualifies under the statutory framework applicable to the Coquille Tribe and its restored lands.
The ruling is a final, appealable order.
What to Watch in 2027: Whether the opposing tribes seek review by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. If an appeal proceeds, the long-running Medford casino dispute could remain an important restored-lands case in 2027.
5. Chin'an Gaming Hall | Alaska
Casino Profile: Chin'an Gaming Hall
Issue: Tribal jurisdiction and gaming eligibility on an Alaska Native allotment.
Current Status: The Native Village of Eklutna has continued operating and expanding its Chin'an Gaming Hall near Anchorage while a broader jurisdictional dispute remains unresolved.
The State of Alaska has challenged federal decisions involving tribal jurisdiction over Native allotments and the authority for gaming at the site. The dispute presents legal questions that differ from conventional off-reservation trust applications in the Lower 48 because of Alaska's distinctive Native land system.
What to Watch in 2027: Federal court or administrative action addressing tribal jurisdiction over the allotment and whether the property qualifies as Indian lands for gaming purposes.
Major Federal Trust Decisions to Watch
6. Osage Nation Lake Ozark Casino Resort | Missouri
Casino Profile: Osage Nation Lake Ozark Casino Resort
Issue: Off-reservation trust acquisition and two-part Secretarial determination.
Current Status: The Osage Nation's proposed Lake Ozark casino remains on the Interior Department's official list of pending gaming-land decisions. The proposal is being considered under the two-part Secretarial determination process.
The project would establish a tribal gaming resort in the Lake of the Ozarks tourism market if the necessary federal and other governmental approvals are obtained.
What to Watch in 2027: Movement by Interior on the pending application and two-part determination will be the key federal development to watch.
7. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Kenosha | Wisconsin
Casino Profile: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Kenosha
Issue: Land-into-trust acquisition and two-part Secretarial determination.
Current Status: The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin's proposed Hard Rock casino in Kenosha remains under federal review and is listed by Interior as a pending two-part Secretarial determination.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs released a Draft Environmental Assessment in March 2026 covering the proposed acquisition of approximately 59 acres in Kenosha and development of a casino resort. The Menominee subsequently announced modifications to the project's site plan while federal review continued.
What to Watch in 2027: Completion of the federal environmental review and any subsequent Interior decision on the trust acquisition and two-part determination.
8. Colville Tribes Pasco Casino | Washington
Casino Profile: Colville Tribes Pasco Casino
Issue: Off-reservation fee-to-trust acquisition and two-part Secretarial determination.
Current Status: The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation are seeking federal approval for a casino resort in Pasco. Interior lists the application as a pending two-part Secretarial determination.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed acquisition of approximately 160 acres in Franklin County for development of a casino resort.
The proposal has also drawn opposition from neighboring tribes, adding an intertribal dimension to the federal review.
What to Watch in 2027: Release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement would be an important next step, followed by public review and continued federal processing of the trust and gaming application.
9. Nisqually Quiemuth Casino-Resort | Washington
Casino Profile: Nisqually Quiemuth Casino-Resort
Issue: Off-reservation fee-to-trust acquisition and two-part Secretarial determination.
Current Status: The Nisqually Indian Tribe is seeking to have approximately 74 acres in Lacey placed into federal trust for a casino-resort development.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement for the project, which would include a casino, hotel, event center and cultural center. Interior lists the application as a pending two-part Secretarial determination.
What to Watch in 2027: Publication of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and any subsequent movement toward a federal trust and gaming determination.
10. Little Shell Event Center & Resort | Montana
Casino Profile: Little Shell Event Center & Resort
Issue: Fee-to-trust acquisition and federal review of a proposed gaming resort.
Current Status: The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana has applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place approximately 136 acres near Great Falls into federal trust for a major entertainment complex.
The proposal includes a casino, 200-room hotel, indoor waterpark, bowling and arcade facilities, restaurants and an entertainment arena. BIA initiated the environmental review process in 2026 and is preparing an Environmental Assessment.
The trust application is particularly noteworthy because the Little Shell Tribe regained federal recognition in 2019 and is continuing to build its governmental and economic land base.
What to Watch in 2027: Progress on the Environmental Assessment and continued federal consideration of the tribe's land-into-trust and gaming proposal. The project remains comparatively early in the federal process, making any significant BIA action during 2027 worth watching.
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Other Tribal Casino Projects That Could Join the 2027 Watch List
Several additional projects could become significant during 2027 if new federal, state or tribal action occurs.
Little River Band Muskegon Casino | Michigan
Casino Profile: Little River Band Muskegon Casino
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians' long-running Muskegon County casino proposal remains stalled following the failure to secure the required gubernatorial concurrence. A change in Michigan's gubernatorial administration could determine whether the tribe attempts to revive the project and restart the necessary approval process.
Sault Tribe Lansing and New Boston Casino Proposals | Michigan
Casino Profile: Kewadin Casino Lansing | Sault Tribe New Boston Casino
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians has fought Interior over trust acquisitions associated with proposed casino developments in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. These projects warrant renewed attention if fresh litigation, federal action or a new trust application emerges.
Shinnecock Nation Casino Initiative | New York
Casino Profile: Shinnecock Nation Casino Project
The Shinnecock Indian Nation renewed its casino ambitions in 2026 by approving gaming-related resolutions and exploring potential development partnerships. The initiative could become a more significant federal land or gaming story if the Nation selects a casino site and begins a new approval process.
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An Early Look at a Developing 2027 Story
These 10 projects provide an early look at what could become some of the most consequential tribal casino land and gaming disputes of 2027. The list could change substantially before the year begins as federal courts issue rulings, Interior advances pending applications and new challenges emerge.
The cases also illustrate how differently tribal casino land disputes can develop. Some turn on whether newly acquired property qualifies for an exception under IGRA. Others depend on federal environmental review, a two-part Secretarial determination, gubernatorial concurrence or judicial interpretation of tribal restoration laws.
Several disputes also involve opposition from neighboring tribes, adding questions involving ancestral territory, tribal sovereignty and regional gaming development to already complicated federal proceedings.
Not every dispute will be settled in 2027. But decisions by federal judges, Interior officials and, in some cases, governors could determine whether several major tribal casino projects advance, remain stalled or return to the drawing board.
500 Nations will update this report as significant court rulings and federal decisions are announced.
This article is intended for informational and news purposes and does not constitute legal advice.
