Gambling has traditionally been a part of many Indigenous cultures. In Canada, games such as stick and dice games, games of chance, foot racing, and horse races, served as social events to bring different communities together, as well as redistribute wealth. Current Indigenous attitudes about gambling are varied. A recent survey of urban Indigenous people found that the majority thought gambling was morally wrong and that gambling harm outweighed the good. However, other communities of Indigenous people believe that gambling in moderation is a good hobby that is grounded in Indigenous tradition. Despite these varying attitudes, the majority of Indigenous people have gambled within the last year (60%-89.8%).
Indigenous populations experience higher rates of problem or pathological gambling in comparison to mainstream populations in Canada, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. In Canada, Indigenous populations (which consist of First Nation, Inuit, and/or Métis people) are two to four times more likely to experience problematic or pathological gambling in comparison to mainstream Canadians. This means that approximately 10% to 20% of the Indigenous population in Canada will experience some gambling problem in their life.
