Indian Law & Gaming

The Indian Law & Gaming Practice Group provides strategic legal advice from the broad collective experience of attorneys throughout our firm. We represent not only Indian tribal governments and Alaskan native entities on matters relating to sovereignty, economic development and governmental objectives, but also tribal corporations and affiliated entities, and the nontribal clients who work with them.

We provide counsel regarding the complex matters of federal Indian law and the interrelationship with state and tribal laws. The firm works closely with tribal leadership and tribal attorneys, as well as others doing business with tribes, to provide advice to form the foundation for well-reasoned policy and strategic decisions as well as the implementation of these strategies to meet our clients’ objectives.

We have significant experience providing legal advice and counsel in a broad range of areas impacted in whole or in part by Indian law including:

• Tribal sovereignty and tribal jurisdiction, including governmental infrastructure and tribal courts
• Gaming development, regulation and compacts
• State compact issues, cooperative agreements, including cigarette and tobacco tax matters relating to sales in Indian country and matters of mutual governmental interest including law enforcement, prisons, roads and healthcare
• Economic development and strategic planning issues
• Corporate, resort, casino and hospitality management
• Construction law, financing, leasing and related commercial development
• Labor and employment issues regarding management responses to union organization efforts, equal employment and tribal employment preference issues
• Finance and access to venture capital markets
• Banking and corporate
• Management and collateral agreements, development agreements
• Taxation – tribal/state/federal issues
• Real estate transactions, zoning and land use issues
• Land selection and acquisition for Indian gaming and other tribal purposes
• Natural resource, water & mineral development
• Environmental issues
• Sacred sites, historical and cultural resources
• Federal recognition of tribes, appropriations, contracts and federal advocacy
• Code of laws and tribal regulations/policies and constitutional issues
• Elections and political law
• Health law, including the Indian Health Service and healthcare entities and providers who work with or contract with tribes
• Trial and appellate litigation in tribal, federal and state courts
• Products liability
• Alternative dispute resolution
• Administrative and regulatory representation before tribal gaming commissions, National Indian Gaming Commission, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, state gaming agencies, the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, and the Interior Board of Indian Appeals

Client Comments*

“The Eastern Shawnee Tribe has always been pleased with the results delivered by Crowe & Dunlevy. Our principal contact is Mike McBride. He always makes himself available or offers a message indicating who to reach if he is unavailable. He completes his work in a timely, professional manner. If he is not the appropriate authority on a topic, he connects us to someone in the firm who is the authority. We have never been disappointed and recommend the entire firm highly.” – Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma

“Crowe & Dunlevy is also said to be ‘preeminent in Indian law and gaming. This is a pillar of that firm. In this capacity, a client vouches, “Their primary strength was their ability to move swiftly regarding any legal action facing our tribe and how they were successful in defending our inherent sovereign rights.” – 2017 Benchmark Litigation Guidebook**

Contact us for more information about Indian law and gaming.

Media Mentions

Mike McBride III – “Supreme Court Decision Threatens to Erode Longstanding Tribal Protections,” Oklahoma Watch (May 24, 2023)

Mike McBride III – “Supreme Court Upholds Federal Law Meant to Protect Indian Children,” Oklahoma Watch (June 15, 2023)

Mike McBride III – “How Oklahoma and Tribal Governments Can Get Along,” Tulsa World (January, 28 2023)

Mike McBride III – “Post McGirt Decision Tribal Moves,” OETA The Oklahoma News Report (December 20, 2022)

Mike McBride III – “Judging Jurisdiction: Federal and Tribal Courts in Oklahoma Grapple with the Aftermath of McGirt,” ABA Journal (April 1, 2022)

Mike McBride III – “How We Got to McGirt, ‘the Most Important Sovereignty Decision in the History of Oklahoma’,” The Oklahoman, (April 5, 2021)

Mike McBride III – “McGirt Decision Expands,” OETA, (March 22, 2021)

Mike McBride III – “This SCOTUS Decision Could Get Dozens of Native Americans Out of Prison,” Vice News, (December 30, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Tribal Sovereignty: Understanding the Impact of the Supreme Court’s Decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma,” SAIGE Annual Meeting, (November 18, 2020)

Mike McBride III –  “TU NALSA McGirt Webinar Series – Criminal Law Practice & McGirt,” University of Tulsa College of Law, (October 14, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Okla. Gov. Gets EPA’s Green Light to Regulate Tribal Lands,” Law360, (October 5, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “The Only Native American on Death Row Was Just Executed Without His Tribe’s Consent,” Vice News, (August 27, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Post-McGirt with Mike McBride III,” The Verdict, (August 12, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Half of Oklahoma is Now Indian Country. What Does that Mean for Criminal Justice There?” The Marshall Project, (August 4, 2020)

Jennifer N. Lamirand – “Gavel to Gavel: McGirt v. Oklahoma — Old Promises and New Opportunities,” The Journal Record, (July 29, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “US Supreme Court Rules in McGirt Case,” OETA, (July 22, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Reservation Ruling Shows Gorsuch’s Tribal Rights Support,” Law360, (July 17, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “AG, Tribes Reach Agreement on Jurisdictional Issues,” Tulsa World, (July 17, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Conviction to be Set Aside in Light of Supreme Court decision,” McIntosh County Democrat, (July 16, 2020)

Jimmy K. Goodman – “No Sudden Impact: Beyond Criminal Matters, ‘McGirt’ to have Little Effect,” The Journal Record, (July 14, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Mike McBride on a Supreme Court Case on Oklahoma and Tribal Land,” Drew Mariani Show ,(July 14, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Judgment Overturned for Second Convicted Killer in Wake of Creek Reservation Case,” The Oklahoman, (July 11, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Supreme Court’s McGirt Ruling ‘Most Important’ in State History,” Tulsa World, (July 10, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Supreme Court Ruling on Oklahoma Tribal Land Raises Questions for Oil Industry,” Reuters, (July 10, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Another Native American & Federal Government Face Off,” The Verdict, (June 4, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Has the Earth Shattered Under Oklahoma? Predictions and Implications of Sharp v. Murphy (and McGirt v. Oklahoma),” The Federal Lawyer, (March/April 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Tribal Compacts Have a Long History (and Future) in Oklahoma,” The Oklahoman (January 1, 2020)

Mike McBride III – “Tribes Plan to Fight Gaming Compact Dispute,” KTUL Ch. 8 (December 1, 2019)

Mike McBride III – “High Court’s Murphy Decision Could Have Major Impact on State, Tribal Authority,” The Oklahoman (August 2019)

Mike McBride III – “Supreme Court Could Change its Approach to Indian Land Case, Experts Say,” The Oklahoman (July 2019)

Jennifer N. Lamirand – “U.S. Supreme Court Delays Ruling on Oklahoma, Creek Nation Case,” KFOR News 4 (June 2019)

Mike McBride III – “Supreme Court Asks for More Argument in ‘Indian Country Jurisdiction Case, to Go on Court’s Fall Calendar,” Tulsa World (June 2019)

Alexander Sokolosky – “Indian Child Welfare Act Held Unconstitutional,” The Oklahoman (March 2019)

Mike McBride III – “Supreme Court Change Could Lead to Indian Country Upheaval,” The Journal Record (July 2018)

Jennifer N. Lamirand – “Legalizing sports betting: What it could mean for Oklahoma,” The Oklahoman (May 2018)

Mike McBride – “Supreme Court Paves Way for Sports Wagering,” The Journal Record (May 2018)

Jennifer N. Lamirand – “Is Sports-Betting ‘Integrity Fee’ A Tax Or Royalty Or Does It Matter?” Gambling Compliance (April 2018)

Mike McBride III – “Tribes Meet In San Diego As Trump Mulls Indian Affairs Chief,” Gambling Compliance (April 2018)

Mike McBride III – “Gaming Decision,” Oklahoma Gazette (April 2016)

Mike McBride III – “A federal appeals court has struck part of an Oklahoma law governing gaming compacts with tribes,” The Oklahoman (February 2018)

Mike McBride III – “Atty. Mike McBride on How the Tribes Interact with the State,” Radio interview–Pat Campbell Show–KFAQ Radio 1170 and Podcast (February 2018)

Mike McBride III – “Legal Counsel: Government leadership roles over Indian gaming remained unfilled,” The Oklahoman (February 2018)

Mike McBride III – “Library Hosts Lecture on Book set in Osage County,” KOTV Ch. 6 (October 2017)

Mike McBride III – “Attorney on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’: Wounds still felt today among Osage Nation,” Tulsa Business and Legal News (October 2017)

Mike McBride Webinar on David Grann’s best-seller: “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and Birth of the FBI” (2018)

Mike McBride III – “IGRA’s Impact on Oklahoma Indian Country,” Indian Gaming Lawyer Magazine (Spring 2018)

Mike McBride III – “Citizen Potawatomi Nation Wins a Landmark Judgment Against Oklahoma in Gaming Compact Sales Tax, Alcohol Dispute,” The Oklahoman (October 2016)

Jennifer N. Lamirand – “Potawatomi returns to Oklahoma for Position with Prestigious Indian Law Firm,” Citizen Potawatomi Nation (March 2016)

Crowe & Dunlevy attorney elected officer of the International Masters of Gaming Law – Mike McBride III was recently named second executive vice president for the International Masters of Gaming Law (February 2016)

Crowe & Dunlevy enhances Indian Law & Gaming Practice Group – Christina M. Vaughn and Jennifer N. Lamirand join the firm in Tulsa and Oklahoma City (January 2016)

*Past results afford no guarantee of future results. Every case is different and must be judged on its merits.

**Crowe & Dunlevy provides no input for Benchmark Litigation methodology. View information about the selection process online.