NATIONAL ABORIGINAL GAMBLING AWARENESS
CONFERENCE (NAGAC) -
DAY 1 – TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2007
OPENING
OF MEETING
Co-Emcee’s, Ron Linklater, Prevention Education Consultant,
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, and Alice Marchand, Director and Clinical
Supervisor, Morning Sky Treatment Centre,
OPENING
CEREMONIES
Opening
Prayer by Elder Mervin Huntinghawk, Rolling River First Nation
WELCOMING
REMARKS
John Borody, CEO, Addictions Foundation of Manitoba,
provided welcoming remarks on behalf of AFM.
He noted that it is always a challenge to find balance between economic
benefits and social responsibilities. He
was proud to have AFM be part of this committee that partnered with the
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba Lotteries Commission, the Manitoba
Gaming Control Commission, and the First Nations Addictions Committee of
Manitoba. He also stated that as leaders
in our field, we have experience and knowledge to share. He mentioned the 8 day workshop that AFM
provides to First Nation caregivers entitled, “Prevention and Treatment of
Problem Gambling” and wished everyone a good conference.
Frank Whitehead, Political Advisor, Assembly of Manitoba
Chiefs, provided welcoming remarks on behalf of AMC. He indicated that Grand Chief Ron Evans sends
his warmest wishes for a successful conference.
He noted that when First Nations first began to explore Gaming as a
means for productive Economic Development, they realized that there must be a
balance between profitability and maintaining a healthy community. While the two First Nation’s casinos have
achieved economic success through sound business planning, partnerships, and
accountability, they are equally diligent in their commitment to responsible
gaming. Both the Aseneskak and
Ron Linklater introduced the first Plenary Speaker, Harold
Wynne, Ph. D. (Wynne Resources). Dr.
Wynne is a leading international authority in gambling research. His experience includes gambling & social
research, policy, strategy & analysis, management consulting, and community
development practitioner.
“THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA: ESTABLISHING GAMBLING IN ABORIGINAL
COMMUNITIES”
Dr. Wynne welcomed everyone and indicated that it was a
pleasure and an honor to speak at the Conference. He started his presentation by stating that
it is always a challenge when you are faced with the dilemma of choosing
between two alternatives – what are the costs versus the benefits of
establishing casinos in First Nation communities.
The Assembly of First Nations
website has the following statement posted:
“First Nation Poverty is the single greatest injustice facing
The Facts are a shocking
reality. One in four First Nation children
live in poverty compared to one in six Canadian children. Approximately 38 % of all deaths in First
Nation youth age 10-19 can be attributed to suicide. Canadian First Nations score 68th
on the United Nations HDI versus 8th for the rest of Canadians. Other distressing facts were shared.
Dr. Wynne went on to state that
Sheila Fraser’s Auditor General’s report of 2004 stated that First Nations need
economic development to close the employment and income gap between aboriginal
and non aboriginal people. Dr. Wynne showed
how the 8 key points listed could be addressed by the establishment of First
Nation casinos. He also showed the
development of gaming from Province to Province and how First Nation’s are
catching up.
After presenting statistics between
aboriginal and non aboriginal gamblers, Dr. Wynne noted that the First Nation
population has an 8 to 10 % higher incidence of becoming problem gamblers. This is the downside of gambling. Do we want the benefit of casino gambling
given the addiction related problems it may cause for many of our people?
His Framework for Action included
the following suggestions: to form gambling health coalitions of concerned
people, to challenge authorities and power figures to provide full disclosure, to
develop safeguards for communities to prevent and treat problem gamblers, to conduct
community research, and to lobby for changes to casino operations where
necessary. He recommended that
pre-casino problem gambling prevalence surveys be conducted (baseline health
studies). On-going research must
continue to monitor the socio-economic impacts of casinos. Do the benefits outweigh the costs?
HEALTH BREAK AND NETWORKING
At 11:00 am, three concurrent
sessions were offered to participants.
The concurrent session topics were in three areas – Gambling Research
(Track A), Responsible Gambling (Track B), and Treatment of Problem Gambling
(Track C). Each session was well
attended by delegates so each track was successful in drawing people to their
topic of discussion.
“YOU CAN’T BEAT RANDOMNESS” – Val Charlette, AFM,
Thompson (Track B)
Ms. Charlette stated that her goal
was to provide a bit of understanding into gambling and its relationship to
aboriginal spirituality.
Under Aboriginal History, an
overview was provided on superstition and its role in First Nation’s beliefs
about gambling. First Nation people have
always had a strong connection to spirituality.
They consult with the spirits to obtain vision into whether what they
are doing is right. Intuition plays a
role in that people feel that a certain machine “feels” lucky and will provide
a win. There are also cognitive
distortions where wins are attributed to efforts of thinking positively or
magical thinking. Some people feel that
certain articles or idols bring luck or that losses will be recovered with
future wins. Near misses can be means to
justify further tries.
Gambling in First Nations began in
guessing games (Mocassin Game) and games of chance (Snow Snakes). The history of the Medicine Wheel was explained and the fact that women once were considered the backbone of
society was mentioned. In Confederation,
Sir John A MacDonald introduced the Indian Act (1874) that stated there will be
no Indians – they shall have no businesses and there will be no highway development to the reserves.
In 1892, gambling was outlawed and in the mid 20th century,
assimilation was introduced through residential schools.
All sense of who we are was
lost. The ceremonies, games of chance,
and traditions that identified us as a culture were outlawed. Gambling was a community event, a time to
share and socialize (versus the individualistic VLT’s), it was a time to have
fun (versus winning), there was physical activity (versus sitting), and there
was mental stimulation (versus pushing a button). Gambling is not the same as it was in the
past.
The conclusion of the presentation
explained the meaning of randomness – without definite aim, haphazard. All Gambling activities are games of chance,
whether you prefer cards, VLT’s, or dice.
There is NO WAY to beat randomness.
Healing will come through talking circles, storytelling, drumming and
singing, and other traditional ceremonies.
LUNCH BREAK AND NETWORKING
“PATHOLOGICAL & PROBLEM GAMBLING AMONG NATIVE
NORTH AMERICANS” – Durand Jacobs,
Mr. Jacobs shared some statistics
from the
First Nation people like to believe
that gambling is a white buffalo (brings the best of times) but it is often a
Trojan horse (a tool to invade the enemy).
They were lead to believe that assimilation was good as well – they were
being welcomed into becoming part of a larger group. This sounds good but it destroyed, killed,
and enslaved people. These are the roots
of the unhappiness.
Who hurts the most? The Family and Children. Gambling has come from gaming and now is
entitled “entertainment”. First Nation
people were pushed onto reservations and are now Reserve Shopping. They are shopping for land near the action
(cities or populated areas). On June 10th,
the
Through various studies, it is
evident that co-occurring problems are to be expected. If someone suffers from a gambling problem,
they are more likely to suffer from a drinking problem. Addicts find alternatives or fellow travelers
to feed their addictions.
How do people de-stress? They go on vacation, get away from home, and
go to their “happy” place. They
disassociate. They blank out their
periphery and only concentrate on “the machine”. They are addicted to the “feel good” feelings
they experience when they “win”. It is
difficult to break this addiction.
To find solutions, look for causes,
not symptoms. This can be achieved
through prevalence studies, gearing a portion of profits to prevention and
education, monitoring how profits are used to improve education/social/housing,
provide self exclusion as an option, and weigh the benefits to the costs. As the elders say, the answer to your problem
lies within your own hands.
HEALTH BREAK AND
NETWORKING
“HOLISTIC TREATMENT FOR PROBLEM GAMBLING AWARENESS
& EDUCATION” – William Crowe-Buffalo,
Holistic treatment involves
treatment of both the mind and the body.
It often includes getting in touch with a spirit. Percy Isaac opened the session with a prayer
song (warrior song).
Education breaks the gambling
circle. By working together, a
difference can be made. People have a
tendency to only remember the “good” times, or the wins and diminish the “losses”.
Addictions can range from an
addiction to violence, drugs, alcohol, gambling, shopping, working, golf, food,
church, the internet, nicotine, and Tim Hortons. It is a physical dependence or devotion to an
activity.
Approximately 15 % of the problem is
related to the addiction itself. The
other 85% can be attributed to other problems the person has not dealt with in
their lives. Even after a person deals
with one problem, they turn to another addiction to put something in place of
the other addiction they have recovered from.
One must learn to cope and deal with the underlying issues. They must remove the negatives and focus on
the positives.
Some suggested positive addictions
were exercise, powwows, spirituality, self care, movies, hobbies, family, and
other cultural ceremonies. Once the
positives are integrated, the 85 % must be dealt with. Traditional healing includes the “whole”
person – including the physical, the mental, the social, and the emotional
wellbeing of the individual.
Success can be achieved to overcome
an addiction. One method that has worked
is to remove the addiction, do something different that you don’t usually do or
your positive alternative for one hour per day, and continue this process for
21 consecutive days. This is the start
to breaking the cycle.
To end the session, a short exercise
was given. Two chairs were placed side
by side in opposite directions. One
person was instructed to close their eyes and answer the question provided by
the other person. The other person asked,
“Who are you?” and, after receiving the response, they thanked the person for
sharing this about themselves. Both
individuals were given the chance to self proclaim their identity. It was an opportunity for everyone to open
themselves up to change by focusing on the positives of who they already are.
The Conference came to a close at
4:30 pm and was scheduled to recommence at 9:00 am the following day.
DAY 2 –
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2007
Ron Linklater and Ali Marchand opened
the Conference for the second day. Don
Ward provided information regarding certification. The Canadian Problem Gambling Board will
provide 15 hours of certification for attending the three days of the Conference
(as long as the person is certified or seeking certification).
Eli Beardy thanked the supporting
organizations for their financial contributions. He introduced the second plenary speaker,
Mark Anielski, Anielski Management Inc., from
“MEASURING THE GENUINE WELL-BEING – IMPACTS OF
GAMBLING ON FIRST NATIONS”
Money is a sickness, yet we all
chase it. It is the golden means to
fulfill all of our desires. As spiritual
people, we must remember the importance of balance – we must find rebalance to
function healthily. As the Chinese say,
we must strive for harmony.
We need honesty and integrity when
we are measuring the impacts of gambling.
If true economic development is to be achieved, we must consider the
well-being of all households. Does money
truly buy more happiness? Studies show
that as the average income increases, the measurement of happiness has hardly
changed.
Some statistics from
Mr. Anielski delved into the
promises of gambling. Why do people
gamble? The answer is to win money or to
be entertained. What motivates or drives
people to gamble? It is a social outing,
there is the chance to gain, and it is an escape. What were the original goals of the
government? It has become a guaranteed
income stream or revenue. It is a
harvesting machine – the house always wins.
Who is accountable for the negative social costs? The measure of the negative side of gambling
should be included on the income statement – the number of suicides, the number
of family breakdowns, the increase in domestic violence, the increase in crime
rates, and so on.
The Genuine Wealth Accounting model
was introduced and explained to the delegates.
The results are statistical and qualitative. It is a new way of accounting that puts
numbers to the true costs associated with gambling.
Several delegates expressed their
gratitude to Mr. Anielski for his research and his presentation. A comment was made that the success rate from
treatment are really low. This research
reiterates how important it is to know the full costs and benefits of any
economic venture to the community. Mr.
Anielski stated that he felt that one suicide was not acceptable. How do we create a situation where there are
no suicides? Another delegate stated
that First Nation people have resources in their communities – through elders
and traditional ceremonies – to return to the spiritual well-being of our
people. Eli Beardy suggested that the
2.5 % of funds set aside for gambling addictions should be used to incorporate
this model into every Manitoba First Nation community.
HEALTH BREAK AND NETWORKING
At 11:00 am, three new concurrent
sessions were offered to participants.
The concurrent session topics were in the same three areas – Gambling
Research (Track A), Responsible Gambling (Track B), and Treatment of Problem
Gambling (Track C).
“INVESTIGATING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC COSTS &
BENEFITS” – Cheryl Currie,
Cheryl Currie conducted a pilot
study with two Alberta First Nations.
Samson Cree Nation has been approved for a casino in their
community. Chief Victor Buffalo is
concerned about the possible impact of gambling on his community. The second community, Ermineskin Cree Nation,
is a neighboring community within 10 kilometers of the other.
The objective was to develop a
culturally relevant framework, to test 25 participants from each community, and
to prepare to reduce the negative impacts of gambling. Four areas were studied – the individual
impact, the family impact, the community social impact, and the economic
impacts. Ms. Currie also indicated that
a 6 million dollar campaign against crystal meth was conducted in the states
recently. This fear based campaign was
unsuccessful in that 99 % of the respondents to the survey said there was no
change. Thus, exclusion of gambling
facilities or the paternal role of not allowing our people to gamble may not
provide the desired results.
Some of the findings include that
while 65 % identified themselves as gamblers (21 % as having a severe problem),
only 11% actually sought help. When
questioned further, the group indicated that there were no resources readily
available. For many of the participants,
both parents were problem gamblers.
Also, the results showed that it was often the mother that gambled, and
the father that had a problem with alcohol.
No cross testing was conducted such as does one gamble because the other
drinks, or visa versa but this may be important in future studies.
One delegate noted that, when people
are treated for alcohol dependency, they are encouraged to replace their
addiction with something positive. If
they are returning to the same environment that has nothing to offer, what do
they turn to? Another delegate stated
that few problem gamblers seek treatment.
It is a hidden disease that can be easily denied until it has more
apparent negative impacts in their lives.
Ms. Currie added that it is
difficult for individuals to seek treatment in their own First Nation. They state there is the confidentiality but
not the anonymity. Some frustration was
expressed – all this research is great, but what are the solutions? How do you apply what you have learned to
real, successful treatment?
One delegate stated that the members
of the community need REAL options to that behavior. If there are none, then we are not going to
be successful.
LUNCH BREAK AND NETWORKING
“SHARING INDIGENOUS TRADITIONS & KNOWLEDGE ON
GAMING” – AMC Elders Council,
Gail Flett, Treaties Relations Researcher,
AMC introduced the Elders Committee and explained how the Committee was formed
one year ago and the role they play in the Assemblies’ gatherings. The Elders were introduced – Elder Doris
Pratt, a Dakota from Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, Elder Mervin Huntinghawk, a
Saulteaux from Rolling River First Nation (along with his wife, Mrs. Mary
Huntinghawk), Elder Leonard York, a Cree from Norway House Cree Nation, and Elder
William Loone, a Dene from Northlands Denesuline First Nation.
Elder William Loone chaired the
presentation and passed the discussion from one Elder to the next. (Mrs. Pratt questioned where the talking
stick was which received a chuckle from the audience). The Elders provided their thoughts and
reminiscences on their earliest recollections of gambling in their
communities. They felt that gambling was,
at that time, actually a form of socializing.
It was for entertainment purposes and was not an addictive behavior as
the gatherings were only held once a year and not every day/week which is
possible today due to gambling being so readily available. (NOTE:
The individual recollections were not documented as it seemed more
appropriate to fully listen than to record their stories in this session).
The Elders thanked AMC for giving
them this opportunity to partake in the Conference. They stated that they are often asked to attend
the Assemblies which have several issues on the table. It was a change to be focused so exclusively
on one topic. They felt that it was a
learning experience for them as well and they felt encouraged to share this
knowledge with their own First Nations.
“CURRENT TRENDS IN GAMBLING RESEARCH” – Jackie
Lemaire, AFM,
Ms. Lemaire began her presentation
by indicating that she started by conducting research on research. She indicated that there are 2246 citations
on gambling. The most prevalent topic
was pathological gambling and decision making.
Key words were risk taking, decision making, addiction, choice behavior,
and epidemiology. The future may hold contextual
research into why this is happening or occurring. The
following report is short due to the technical content of the information that
was presented.
Information was provided on detailed
studies such as the Momper 2005 study.
This was a mixed method study that explored First Nation women in casino
gambling in a First Nation casino. The
results clearly show an association between increases in children’s behavioral
problems as the women increased their gambling.
It was interesting to note that young males were more vulnerable to
family stress.
Another study she provided
information on was the Rychtank 2006 study of the psychological distress on the
spouse of a problem gambler. They were
provided 10 weeks of treatment based on stress and coping skills through
behavioral modification and role playing.
There was a significant improvement in cognitive and behavioral coping
as a result of the training.
Some of this training is being
offered to First Nation youth. It provides
them with the ability to cope with stress and to deal with peer pressure. It was suggested that this type of
programming should be incorporated into all schools and provided to all
students. This may be a proactive
approach of providing the next generation with the skills necessary to find
balance within their own lives.
The Conference came to a close at
4:30 pm and was scheduled to recommence at 9:00 am the following day.
DAY 3 –
THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2007
Eli Beardy provided opening comments
regarding the entertainment of the previous evening. It was an enjoyable evening for all.
Ron Linklater and Ali Marchand
opened the Conference for the third day.
Ron spoke positively about the press attention this Conference was
receiving. There were 10 -12 interviews
requested, and granted ranging from Global TV, the Winnipeg Sun, the Winnipeg
Free Press, APTN, and a Yellowknife radio station. This reaffirms the necessity of speaking on
the effects of gambling.
The third Plenary Speaker, Dr. Lorna
Dyall, Ph. D, was introduced. She is a
Senior Lecturer at Te Kupenga Hauora Maori (Division of Maori Health) at the
Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences,
“KANOHI KI TE KANOHI:
A MAORI FACE TO GAMBLING”
Gambling is a normalized
activity. It is mentioned in every day
activities and is seen as an acceptable part of every day living. Gambling is not considered a serious health
issue. Is it a worthy area of study?
The Maori people did not have a say
in whether they wanted machines in their communities – it was a government
decision.
In the 1990’s, the Minister of
Health stated that gambling is a trivial issue.
Dr. Dyall noted how there are no health related people in attendance at
this Conference. The results of a
national study conducted in 1991 by Abbott and Volberg demonstrated that males
ages 18-29 are the most at risk. The
evidence points to the fact that the government does not want to own up to the
results. A follow-up study was conducted
in 1999 that showed that the Maori and Pacific people had the highest rate of
prevalence of problem gambling.
At the first Hui held, the Maori
stated that they do not want to be defined as the problem. The focus should be on those who created the
problem. The Maori clearly indicated
that they want to be involved in the design and implementation of the
solutions. Studies need to be conducted
independent of the government.
Information equates to
empowerment. Gambling should be defined
as a social hazard. It creates problems
every time it is introduced into a new environment. Gambling is also a means of
exploitation. The casinos are often
located in the lower income areas of town.
It is another form of tax and redistributes wealth. Why are they never located in the best areas
of town?
What are the role, size, and place
of gambling in First Nation society? Or,
are they all ad hoc decisions. Local
governments are now responsible for gaming venue policies.
Another avenue for intervention is
through legal means. There should be
compensation for the harm gambling has created, similar to the nicotine
trials. It was promoted that gambling is
a harmless recreational activity, and Maori sports heroes are used to promote
this market.
Every problem gambler affects the
lives of 5 to 11 people. If 12,051 of
the 365,203 Maori people are problem gamblers, then 20 % of the population has been
affected by problem gambling (12,051 x 5 = 62,055 + 12,051 = 72,310/365,203 =
20 %). We, as indigenous people, need to
push back and be involved in the key decisions that affect our well-being.
After a few questions from the
floor, a small group was to meet with Dr. Dyall to discuss the possibility of
creating an international charter on gambling.
HEALTH BREAK AND NETWORKING
JUDY GOODRIDGE, Chief Operating
Officer, Aseneskak Casino, Opaskwayak Cree Nation, MB.
Aseneskak was the first Manitoba
First Nation casino to open its doors in
The goals of the casino are:
The original intent was to target
80% of their clientele from external and 20 % from internal and the bus tours
helped to achieve this. But, in order to
remain a destination area, the area has to continually be developed. After five years, the experience has been
that the market consists of 80 % local and 20 % external.
The casino is marketing the location
as an entertainment center that offers more than gambling. The have a gift shop, provide entertainment
by showcasing local artists, and they market the restaurant and lounge.
The have a responsible gaming
policy. Printed material is provided on
site and they have a voluntary exclusion policy. There are no unsupervised children allowed on
the casinos property (strict bans are enforced), they have maximum limits, do
not allow any cheque cashing or debit card purchases, and the patrons must be
over the age of 18.
A 3 % value of their profits is
directed to the partner communities for addiction awareness programs; however,
Aseneskak does not track the programs that are developed.
A Training Coordinator position was
recently integrated into the business to emphasis the importance of
training. Many of the employees are
young adults with this being their first place of employment. The casino has also become part of a tourism
group in the community to draw other patrons from areas away from The Pas.
The information received at this
Conference will be provided to the partners.
BARRY DENESIUK, Director of Casino
Operations, South Beach Casino,
Mr. Denesiuk indicated that the
staff at
A brief history of gambling in
1985 – Federal control given to
Provinces
1989 –
1991 – VLT’s introduced
1993 – Club Regent opened
1996 – MGCC created
2002 – Aseneskak Casino opened AFM on site at McPhillips Station
2005 – Gaming Control Act introduced to regulate gaming
2005 – South Beach Casino opened
On May 28, 2005 the South Beach
Casino opened its doors in Brokenhead, a thirty minute drive north east of
The casino is socially
responsible. They believe they offer
better games (lower hand %), have increased entertainment value in their
machines (more time for less money), which helps to reduce the risk of problem
gambling.
They have a mandatory training
policy in their responsible gaming policy.
They offer free gambling awareness information on site and online. They also have a self exclusion program. Like the Aseneskak casino, they issue no
credit, there are no cheques or debit cards, there are no children in cars, and
the site is restricted to adults, aged 18 and over.
They currently employ 65 %
aboriginal. The profit split is 70 % to
the seven host First Nations (none to the provincial government), 27.5% to
First Nation trust which benefits all Manitoba First Nations, and 2.5% is for
responsible gaming. They also have a
community spirit fund that was given $90,000 (a casino expense) to support a
fire hall, library, and treatment center.
The area supported extends from
The staff must complete their
mandatory training within six months and have an annual written test. A total of 106 staff have been trained by
AFM. To date, the casino has had 17 self
exclusions.
A comparison of prohibition to
problem gambling was provided. Problems
with alcohol increased as a result of this Act.
There was an increase in organized crime, racketeering, and the black
market. In recent history, the
Government is enforcing harsher penalties for drunk-driving related offenses
and onus is being placed on the servers of alcohol. Should casinos be held accountable for the
impacts? Is exclusion a solution to the
problems?
What does the future hold? Players could be given limitations (amount of
money spent or time spent) based on their income, spouses could be given
exclusion power over their spouse or casinos could enforce exclusion if they
believe someone is becoming a problem gambler, or it could go as far as
limiting entry for people on Assistance.
One individual summed up the
discussion and the conference quite well.
An addiction means that a person will turn to other things if they
successfully treat their gambling problems.
There has to be better techniques for treatment as any addiction is
difficult to cure. The current treatment
is often not effective. The industry has
obligations but so do we as researchers or treatment centers. There is no dark side/good side. It is one society working together for the
betterment of our communities. We really
need to think about what we are doing.
A lunch and networking break was
provided followed by a conference summary by the Co-Emcees. There was interest expressed by Treaty 3 to
host the 4th National Conference in 2009. The conference concluded at 1:30 pm.