Indian Gaming

Lewis Roca's Indian Gaming Law Practice has a national clientele and our team has experience handling a wide variety of matters, including regulation, licensing, compact negotiation, state and federal legislation, real estate and project development, financial transactions, intellectual property, litigation, and business law.

We regularly represent both gaming agencies and individuals appearing before gaming agencies. When representing a gaming agency, our lawyers have assisted with securing and renegotiating tribal-state compacts, supervised licensing investigations, provided advice to gaming agencies on the suitability of prospective licensees, and represented agencies before gaming boards and administrative law judges. When representing individuals, our lawyers have helped applicants prepare gaming applications, assisted applicants during licensing investigations, and represented applicants appealing adverse licensing and certification determinations.

Regulatory Compliance Advice and Support

Our team offers significant experience reviewing, drafting, and amending gaming statutes and regulations in a variety of jurisdictions across the U.S. and internationally. We review gaming regulations, policies, and procedures for compliance with IGRA, NIGC regulations, the applicable tribal-state gaming compact, and constitutional considerations.

We are experienced in dealing with Congress and State Legislatures, as well as both federal and state agencies that regularly interact with our Tribal clients. Our lawyers regularly interact with the United States Senate Indian Affairs Committee, select members of Congress and their staff members, state legislators in Arizona, California and Washington, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Licensing, Compliance and Enforcement

Our lawyers have assisted countless gaming employees, lenders, vendors, and other third parties obtain tribal gaming licenses, approvals, and permits. We also counsel gaming entities regarding compliance with tribal gaming regulatory requirements.

Furthermore, we advise tribal gaming commissions with regard to their licensing procedures, including supervising licensing investigations, the vetting of prospective licensees, and represented commissions in court.

Litigation

Our firm’s litigation practice is recognized nationwide not only for our general litigation experience but, more importantly, for our experience in litigating on behalf of tribal clients. We have successfully represented Indian tribes in tribal courts, state courts, and federal courts. Most significantly, the firm was co-counsel in the ground-breaking case of Rincon v. Schwarzenegger which ruled on when a state, in compact negotiations, could legitimately negotiate for revenue sharing and, conversely, when demands by a state would constitute an illegal tax. See Rincon Band of Luiseno Mission v. Schwarzenegger, 602 F.3d 1019 (9th Cir. 2010).