Gambling: A Poison Chalice for Indigenous Peoples’

Abstract

Indigenous populations are now being encouraged to be involved in the business of gambling as an operator or if not given that status, are actively encouraged to participate in gambling activities. Research both published and unpublished show that different indigenous populations often have a higher prevalence of problem and pathological gambling than other populations groups, especially the dominant population, which actively encourages the normalisation and exposure of vulnerable peoples to gambling. Within this context there are issues for indigenous peoples which vary from one country to another, but irrespective of different government and state policies, there are matters to be considered such as the “voice”, of indigenous peoples in gambling policies, their treaties and ongoing implications, duty of care by politicians and administrators whom licence and regulate gambling, and the long term effects for indigenous people, especially children and young people who are exposed to gambling with no protections in place for their safety.