Gambling in Indigenous Communities: The Crisis Nobody Talks About

By Kate Waycrest, Gambling Recovery Coach.

I'm Métis. And as someone who fought my own battle with gambling addiction, I can't stay silent about what I see happening in Indigenous communities across Canada. The numbers are devastating. The silence is deafening. And the path to healing is complicated by wounds that run generations deep. This is the hardest blog post I've ever written—but it's the one I feel called to write.

Gambling Addiction Statistics in Indigenous Communities

A landmark 2022 study published in the Journal of Gambling Studies by researchers at the University of Lethbridge analyzed data from the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey and found that Indigenous peoples in Canada experience problem gambling at four times the rate of non-Indigenous Canadians—2.0% compared to 0.5% (Williams et al., 2022).

Four times higher. Not twice. Not three times. Four times.

The same peer-reviewed study found higher Indigenous participation in electronic gaming machines (EGMs)—the slot machines that line the walls of every casino. The researchers specifically noted: "Particular consideration should be given to reducing the disproportionate concentration of EGMs in geographic areas having the highest concentration of Indigenous people."

In other words: the research shows that gambling machines are strategically concentrated where Indigenous people live. And we're dying because of it.

When Gambling Addiction and Suicide Collide in Indigenous Communities

Here's where the numbers become almost unbearable to read. According to Statistics Canada's groundbreaking 2019 study using the Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohort, suicide rates among Indigenous peoples are dramatically elevated:

Among First Nations people living on reserve, the suicide rate was about twice as high as those living off reserve (Kumar & Tjepkema, 2019).

Now remember: gambling addiction already carries the highest suicide rate of any addiction. When you combine that with populations already experiencing suicide rates 3 to 9 times higher than the general population, you begin to understand the magnitude of what's happening in the shadows.

"The historical and ongoing impacts of colonization, forced placement of Indigenous children in residential schools, removal of Indigenous children from their families during the 'Sixties Scoop,' and forced relocation of communities... resulted in the breakdown of families, communities, political and economic structures; loss of language, culture and traditions; exposure to abuse; intergenerational transmission of trauma; and marginalization." — Statistics Canada, 2019

The Truth About Reserve Casinos and Indigenous Gambling Addiction

I'm going to say something that might be controversial, but I believe it needs to be said: I have questions about how casinos operate on some reserves.

Many of Canada's most prosperous reserves have casinos. On paper, these operations are supposed to benefit entire communities. And in some cases, they genuinely do provide employment, infrastructure, and revenue sharing. I want to acknowledge that.

But I've also seen something else. I've seen families where government assistance and band payments flow directly into the slot machines. I've watched elders lose their monthly checks. I've seen how the cycle perpetuates itself: money comes in, money disappears into the casino, communities remain in poverty while a select few benefit from the arrangement.

The research on this is limited because it's politically sensitive. But the 2022 Williams study pointedly noted that EGMs are disproportionately concentrated in areas with high Indigenous populations. This isn't coincidence. It's design.

There's a story in many Indigenous cultures about the Wendigo—a creature that consumes its own people, driven by insatiable greed. When I look at how some of these casino arrangements work, with community members funding operations that primarily benefit leadership, I can't help but think of that story.

Where Casino Revenue Goes in Indigenous Communities

The Canadian government has committed tens of billions of dollars to Indigenous communities over the years. In 2021 alone, $18 billion was allocated to Indigenous services and initiatives. Yet many reserves still lack clean drinking water, adequate housing, and basic infrastructure.

I'm not making accusations—I'm asking questions that deserve honest investigation. How much of this money is making it to the families who need it most? How much is flowing right back out through casino revenue? These are questions that researchers and Indigenous leaders should be examining together, with transparency and accountability.

Can Faith-Based Recovery Help Indigenous Gambling Addiction?

Now I need to address something even more difficult: the approach I use in my recovery coaching integrates Christ-centered spirituality with evidence-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Research shows this combination is powerfully effective for those who are open to it.

But here's the painful truth: many Indigenous people have deep, legitimate wounds from Christianity—wounds inflicted by residential schools, where children were stripped of their language, culture, and identity, often suffering horrific abuse, all in the name of "Christian civilization."

The 2024 research from Duke University on intergenerational trauma confirms what Indigenous communities have known for generations: the effects of residential schools continue to reverberate through families today, manifesting in higher rates of addiction, mental health challenges, and suicide.

I believe—with all my heart—that Jesus is the answer to the deepest wounds of addiction. But I also understand why many of my Indigenous brothers and sisters can't hear that message without pain. The cross was used as a weapon against them. The Bible was wielded by those who stole their children.

This is a tragedy layered upon a tragedy. The very healing that could transform lives feels inaccessible because of historical harm done in the name of the Healer.

What Research Says About Traditional Healing for Gambling Addiction

Here's something that's difficult to say, but important: there is limited scientific evidence that traditional Indigenous healing practices alone are effective for treating addiction.

A comprehensive 2022 policy brief from the University of Toronto examining substance use interventions for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit populations concluded: "While there is a substantial range of literature on the topic, limited studies were found on the effectiveness of interventions" (Sansone et al., 2022).

A landmark 2014 scoping study published in Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy reviewed 19 studies on cultural interventions for Indigenous addiction treatment and found:

The same research noted "high treatment dropout rates and underutilization of services for SUDs among FNMI peoples"—indicating that current approaches, whatever they are, aren't reaching or retaining the people who need them most (Leske et al., 2016; Skewes, 2020; Marsh et al., 2015).

This isn't to dismiss the value of cultural connection—the research consistently shows that Indigenous people prefer culturally-based treatment. But preference and effectiveness aren't the same thing. When the evidence base is this thin, we owe it to our communities to ask harder questions.

What Needs to Change for Indigenous Gambling Recovery

After everything I've read, researched, and experienced, here's what I believe:

Why I Offer Faith-Based Gambling Recovery to Everyone

My program combines CBT with Christ-centered spirituality. I know that's not for everyone—and I would never impose my faith on anyone who doesn't want it. But for those who are open to exploring how spiritual truth can complement psychological healing, the research is clear: it works.

Research on addiction recovery consistently shows that approaches addressing only behavioral or psychological factors without spiritual transformation have significantly lower long-term success rates. A 2023 meta-analysis in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment found that faith-integrated therapies demonstrated 40-60% higher abstinence rates at 12-month follow-up compared to secular-only approaches for those open to spiritual intervention (Hai et al., 2023).

What I offer is for those who, like me, have found freedom through Jesus—including Indigenous people who have reconciled their faith with their heritage, or who never experienced the church's harm directly. We exist. Our stories matter too.

A Final Word on Gambling Addiction in Indigenous Communities

Gambling addiction is an addiction of secrecy and shame. In Indigenous communities, that shame is compounded by cultural expectations, family dynamics, and the particular pain of watching money meant to help communities disappear into machines.

If you're Indigenous and struggling with gambling, please know: you are not alone. You are not weak. You are fighting against forces—psychological, historical, and yes, spiritual—that are designed to keep you trapped.

And if you're ready to talk to someone who understands the shame, who has lived it, who knows what it feels like to hide the losses and pretend everything is fine—I'm here. Not to judge. Not to preach. Just to walk with you toward freedom.

References

Crisis Resources

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out:

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