Steve Hart is a nationally recognized Indian and gaming law lawyer representing tribes and tribal gaming commissions throughout the western United States. He provides insight and strategic advice on issues related to tribal-state compact negotiations, land into trust, and Indian lands determinations. Steve also practices in the area of corporate and government relations, overseeing policy, economic development, and state and federal legislative and administrative practices. He has also assisted with licensing matters, real estate and project development, intellectual property issues, financial transactions, litigation, and general business law matters. In addition, he represents corporations and other business entities in their efforts to shape and comply with government regulations, and in their business interactions with tribes and tribal entities.
Steve is actively involved with a number of tribal business associations, a published author, and frequent presenter at conferences and events, including the Western Indian Gaming Conference, the International Masters of Gaming Law, the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, and the American Bar Association.
Steve served as the director of the Arizona Department of Gaming during the Jane Hull administration. He led the Department through Sunset legislation, budget crises, and high-profile gaming investigations. In addition, he served as Governor Hull’s personal legal advisor on Indian gaming and was on the Governor’s team for negotiation of new Tribal-State gaming compacts with the 22 Tribal governments in Arizona. His work for the state of Arizona culminated with the December 2002 signing of new gaming compacts in Arizona.
Steve has an unyielding passion for advocacy and combines it with thorough research, deep knowledge of compacts, detailed preparation, and an understanding of Native American cultures. His pragmatic approach and experienced perspective are key factors in crafting actionable plans that fund projects, facilitate initiatives, and advance his clients’ economic interests. He inspires trust and his clients appreciate his deep knowledge of traditional values that define them and their objectives.
Steve’s interest in working with tribes began while he was studying developmental economics and doing graduate research assistant work at the University of California, Berkeley. He focused on learning and understanding the issues affecting Native American communities.
Originally from Montreal, Quebec, Steve moved to Arizona at the age of 10. In his free time, he enjoys hiking the Arizona trails and spending time with his wife and dog.
Professional & Civic Engagement
- Intertribal Court of Southern California, Member
- Indian Law Section of the State Bar of Arizona, Past Chairman
- International Masters of Gaming Law, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
- California Nations Indian Gaming Association
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Economic Development. Steve led the team of attorneys that assisted an Arizona tribe through all legal aspects of a build out of a $120 million resort. The team worked to obtain political support of the local community, state legislators, State Governor, and U.S. Senator. They successfully acquired the land and worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to secure the land into trust, assisted with infrastructure design, negotiated the necessary easements for infrastructure improvements, including telecommunications, water, access, wastewater disposal, and other construction issues, and handled the final construction of the project, and provided advice on sovereign immunity and other contract matters.
- Innovative Financial Approach Saves Tribe $400 Million. Steve assisted a California tribe with its struggling casino. The gaming compact in place with the State of California, along with political and legal obstacles found the tribe deeply in debt and unable to meet revenue distribution allocations. As lead negotiator, Steve successfully argued the arrangements were not in compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, and renegotiated an unprecedented new deal for the tribe with the state of California, restructured financial obligations to bondholders and its previous management company, saving the tribe hundreds of millions of dollars over the term of the compact.
- Multi-Tribe Compact Negotiations in New Mexico. Steve began a complex negotiation involving four other tribes, with the ultimate goal of securing new compacts with the state of New Mexico that would benefit all five tribes. The negotiations took a number of years, and Steve and his team were able to help solve difficult issues involving revenue sharing, previous compact amendments, and the pressured timing of the legislative calendar and various compact termination deadline, as well as guiding the tribe through the approval process with the state legislature and the Department of Interior.
- Assisted With Key Lawsuit Affecting Tribal Compacts. Steve co-counseled with a California tribe in its lawsuit against the State of California and Governor. Subsequently, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found that California had failed to negotiate in "good faith" by demanding "illegal taxation." The Court went on to identify how the State and the Tribe could negotiate and agree upon “legal revenue sharing.” This is one of the most important decisions for Indian tribes in the past decade. The state of California reconsidered and changed its negotiation strategy and dramatically reduced revenue sharing rates. Steve has included writing legislation involving internet poker and other items affecting California tribal casinos.
- Multi-Tribe Compact Negotiations in Arizona. As the lead attorney for the Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise, Steve began a complex negotiation involving 22 of the Tribes of Arizona, with the ultimate goal of securing new gaming compacts with the State of Arizona that would benefit all the Tribes. The negotiations took a number of years, and Steve and his team were able to help solve difficult issues involving revenue sharing, the integration of event wagering and fantasy sports on and off Indian lands, and the protection of rural markets, as well as guiding the Compact and its Appendices through the approval process and the Department of Interior. Steve was instrumental in negotiating amendments to the Compact that helped resolve a lawsuit filed by a non-signatory Tribe (that later joined the Compact) and brought together the ten Tribes with state-wide event wagering licenses to protect their interests in an administrative appeal against the Department of Gaming.
Honors & Awards
- Arizona Capitol Times, Timeless Icon, 2023
- The Best Lawyers in America - Lawyer of the Year, Woodward/White, Aiken, S.C, Gaming Law, 2019, 2021-2025; Native American Law, 2005-2025
- Chambers USA, Native American Law, Nationwide, 2023-2024
- Chambers USA, Native American Law, Arizona, 2018-2024
- Martindale-Hubbell, "AV/Preeminent Attorney" rating
Thought Leadership
- Takeaways From High Court's Tribal Health Admin Cost Ruling, Law360, July 31, 2024
- Cover feature: Can Tribes and commercial gaming see eye to eye?, Quoted, Gaming America, July 15, 2024
- Justices' Caution May Hold Key To New Sports Betting Efforts, Quoted, Law360, June 20, 2024
- Supreme Court Upholds Online Betting via Seminole Tribe, Reshaping US Gaming Landscape, Quoted, West Island Community News, June 18, 2024
- Supreme Court refusal lets Seminole Tribe keep exclusive mobile gaming rights in Florida, Quoted, Tribal Business News, June 17, 2024
- Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Wanted to Accept Florida Compact Appeal, Quoted, Casino.org, June 17, 2024
- Panelist, "Reading the Tea Leaves - West Flagler Litigation," Trends in Indian Gaming Conference, October 2023
- Arizona Sportsbooks Aligned with Native American Tribes Lag Behind in Competitive Industry, Quoted, Phoenix Business Journal, November 22, 2022
- Don’t bet on it. Wagering on the Super Bowl is illegal in California, Quoted, Los Angeles Times, January 30, 2022
- Speaker, "Navajo Gaming Update," ASU Indian Law Program Webinar, October 2021
- Speaker, "Is Online Gaming the Future of Tribal Gaming?," G2E, October 2021
- Speaker, "Betting on Arizona," ASU College of Law Indian Gaming and Tribal Self-Governance Programs Webinar, September 2021
- Speaker, "Update on Arizona Gaming Law Changes," East Valley Partnership, September 2021
- Panelist, "Indian Country: Implications of Mobile," Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, August 2021
- Panelist "Tribal Sports Betting: Negotiating the Compact," National Indian Gaming Association Convention, July 2021
- Panelist, "California Sports Betting: The Path Forward," National Indian Gaming Association Convention, July 2021
- Moderator, "Sports Wagering: Will it Change the Paradigm for Indian Gaming?" Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2020
- Moderator, "The Expansion of Tribal Court Jurisdiction," Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2020
- Panelist, "Tribal-State Gaming Compacts Hot Topics & Recent Trends," National Council of Legislators From Gaming States, January 2020
- Presenter, "Sports Betting: A New Paradigm for Tribal Gaming," REDW Tribal Gaming Leadership Summit, November 2019
- Panelist, "Master Level: Sports Betting: Addressing the Regulations," Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association Conference, July 2019
- Moderator, "Point and Counter Point: Measuring Compact Commitments & Community Needs," Tribal Summit on Responsible Gaming, July 2019
- Compacts or Clout, Quoted, Global Gaming Business Magazine, May 28, 2019
- Presenter, "Sports Betting Prospects in Arizona after Murphy v. NCAA," 4th Annual Barristers & Baseball, March 2019
- Moderator, "Current Legal Events Impacting Tribal Governments," Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2019
- Tribes Oppose Sports Betting Bill, Quoted, Arizona Capitol Times, February 26, 2019
- Betting On Your Favorite Teams Still on Hold in Arizona Legislature, Quoted, Cronkite News, February 19, 2019
- Arizona Lawmakers Are Debating Legal Sports Betting, Comment, KJZZ, February 14, 2019
- Arizona Lawmaker Pushes to Legalize Sports Betting, Quoted, Arizona Capitol Times , January 29, 2019
- You Broke It, You Bought It, Quoted, Global Gaming Business Magazine, November 25, 2018
- Sports Betting In New Mexico Heats Up, Despite Lack of New Legislation, Quoted, Gambling Compliance, November 7, 2018
- Milestone Election For California Tribal Gaming Celebrates 20th Anniversary, Quoted, Gambling Compliance, November 2, 2018
- Tribal Compacts a Challenge for New Mexico Sports Betting, Quoted, Bloomberg Government, November 2, 2018
- Panelist, "Sports Betting: The Path Forward for Indian Country," Global Gaming Expo, October 2018
- Presenter, "History of Sports Betting and the Case,” ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, August 2018
- Sports Betting in Arizona Requires Tribal Compact Rework, Quoted, Bloomberg Law, August 27, 2018
- Stephen Hart Featured on KJZZ Discussing U.S. Supreme Court's Decision on Sports Betting, Quoted, May 14, 2018
- Presenter, "Recent Court Decisions in Indian Country: Lewis, Patchak, Carcieri and Beyond," International Masters of Gaming Law Panel, March 2018
- Presenter, “When Will the Tribes be Able to Operate Sports Betting?” Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2018
- State-run Lottery Game 'Keno' Faces Opposition From Navajo Nation and Center for Arizona Policy, Comment, Arizona Daily Sun, February 1, 2018
- Not a Sure Thing, Quoted, Global Gaming Business Magazine, January 7, 2018
- Presenter, "The Evolution of Tribal/State Compacts in California," 22nd Annual Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2017
- Moderator, "Tribal Gaming Legal Issues with States," Winter Meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States, January 2017
- Presenter, "Tribal-State Gaming Issues a Hot Topic for Legislators, Regulators," National Council of Legislators from Gaming States 2016 Winter Meeting, December 2016
- Presenter, “Online Gaming in Indian Country,” American Bar Association: 20th Annual National Institute on the Gaming Law Minefield, February 2016
- Presenter, "The State of Compacting in California – Takeaways From Recent Gaming Compacts," Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2016
- Protecting iPoker and DFS Players in California, Author, iGaming Business North America, February 10, 2016
- 21st Annual Western Indian Gaming Conference, Organized by The California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA), February 9, 2016
- California: Forcing iPoker Operators to Ante Up Could Backfire, Author, iGaming Business North America, June 15, 2016
- 73rd Annual NCAI Convention, October 11, 2016
- Obtaining a Restricted Gaming License in Nevada, Co-Author, September 1, 2016
- Program Co-Chair and Presenter, "State Legislative Trends,” Law Seminars International: The Third Annual Conference on Legal Issues for Tribal Online Gambling, May 2015
- Thought-Leader, “Open Space: Tribal and Regional Gaming,” GiGse Totally Gaming, April 2015
- Presenter, "Tribal State Gaming Compacts - Lessons Learned" and "Internet Gaming - Point, Counterpoint," Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2015
- Presenter, "iGaming in Indian County: Federal, State and Tribal Developments" and "State of California Tribal Compact Negotiations: Past, Present & Future," California Gaming Law Summit, January 2015
- Moderator, "Regulatory - Don't Get Called for Illegal Procedure Because You Weren't Up on the Latest Issues Facing Gaming Operations and Regulations," 2014 Arizona Indian Gaming Association EXPO, November 2014
- Presenter, "Indian County Series: Advances in Technology," International Masters of Gaming Law 2014 Spring Conference, April 2014
- Program Co-Chair and Presenter, "State Legislative Trends and Update on Currently Pending State Legislation" and "Tribal-State Compacts: Determining the Extent to Which Tribes Need to Negotiate Updated Terms to Accommodate Internet Gaming,” Law Seminars International: The Second Annual Conference on Legal Issues for Tribal Online Gambling, April 2014
- Presenter, "Getting the Lay of the Land," iGaming Legislative Symposium, February 2014
- Presenter, "Tribal Government: Joint Power Agreements," and "Internet Gaming," Western Indian Gaming Conference, February 2014
