The Federal Trade Commission has scored a key win before a Nevada federal judge, who said the agency can sue deceptive payday lenders even if they are affiliated with American Indian tribes.

U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro affirmed a magistrate judge’s decision that lead defendant AMG Services Inc. and associated lenders are within the FTC’s reach. The FTC Act, the judge held, “grants the FTC authority to regulate arms of Indian tribes, their employees, and their contractors.”