These loans are illegal in most states however the loan sharks have paid individuals associated with a native american tribe to "own" the company in an effort to claim tribal sovereignty much like casinos like to do in states where gambling laws aren't favorable. The state may set an upper limit on these usurious loans but if an individual tribe has not then they can run the business under the jurisdiction of the tribal council even though most of the people getting these loans legitimately are not a member of the local tribe.