Indian gaming presents tribes with great opportunities — opportunities tied to economic growth, opportunities for development, and opportunities to improve the lives for many in Indian Country. Nationally recognized as one of the leading Indian law firms in this field, Hobbs Straus has been at the forefront of assisting tribes on gaming and gaming related issues since its earliest days. We understand that, at its core, Indian gaming is only possible because of the sovereign status of tribes and we are able to draw on our long experience in all aspects of Indian law to help tribes secure and protect their gaming rights under federal law.
Our firm counsels tribal clients nationwide on all areas of Indian gaming including compact negotiations, oversight and enforcement regulations, classification and licensing, gaming analysis, IRS assessments, contract negotiations and litigation. We also represent tribal clients before Congress, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Our attorneys have taken a pioneering role in advocating for a broad definition of the scope of Class II gaming permitted to tribes under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). We have also obtained groundbreaking advisory opinions from the NIGC with respect to the development of electronic aids to those games.
We have extensive experience assisting tribes in comprehensive gaming compact negotiation with several states, including Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, Nevada, and Oregon. One result of these efforts is the historic Oklahoma Model Tribal-State Gaming Compact of 2004. Significantly, the legal certainty brought by that Compact has allowed Oklahoma tribes to raise hundreds of millions of dollars to finance new gaming facilities and related infrastructure, creating thousands of new jobs in the process.
Hobbs Straus routinely assists tribes in the negotiation of management, development, consulting and other agreements necessary for the establishment and operation of gaming by Indian tribes. We advise on the administration of tribal regulatory functions, the establishment of tribal gaming management and regulatory bodies, the development of gaming regulations and ordinances, and the implementation of Revenue Allocation plans. Additionally, our attorneys represent clients in responding to IRS inquiries and examinations and we work with the IRS to reduce and/or appeal assessment of tax penalties.
