Gambling among Minnesota
American Indian
Public School Students
Randy Stinchfield, Ph.D., LP
Department of Psychiatry
University of Minnesota Medical School
American Indians in Minnesota
Seven Anishinaabe communities (also known as
Ojibwe or Chippewa) in the north; and
 Four Dakota (also know as Sioux) communities in
the south
 In the 2000 Census, 81,074 Minnesotans reported
AI and one or more other race (2000 Census data;
www.demography.state.mn.us)

Commercial Gambling in Minnesota
More than 3,000 lottery retail outlets
 More than 3,000 charitable gambling sites
 18 tribal casinos
 Two racetracks with card rooms
 Advertising on television, radio, newspaper,
billboards, and at sporting events
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Tribal Gambling:
A Two-edged Sword
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On the one hand, tribal gambling has improved the lives
of many tribal members. Tribal gambling has become
the “New Buffalo” for some AI communities, bringing
needed economic development to reservations.
On the other hand, some tribal members gamble in tribal
casinos and risk becoming addicted .
And what about gambling among AI youth?
First Generation of AI Youth
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This is the first generation
of AI youth to be exposed
to easy access to a variety
of gambling venues and
widespread gambling
advertising
The class of 2010 was born
a couple years after the
onset of the state lottery
and casino gambling, so
they have been exposed to
gambling their entire lives
Research on gambling among Native
American and First Nations youth
A recent review of problem gambling in North
American Indian/First Nations populations by
Wardman, el-Guebaly, and Hodgins (2001), found
only four published articles: three from MN
(Peacock, Day & Peacock,1999; Stinchfield,
1997; and Zitzow, 1996) and one from Alberta
(Hewitt & Auger, 1995).
 Findings of the review: American Indian/First
Nations adolescents have higher rates of gambling
and problem gambling than their non-Indian peers.

Youth Gambling a Concern
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With the rapid expansion of gambling have also come
concerns about youth gambling and youth problem
gambling
Underage gambling is a particular concern since it is
illegal and may put youth at risk for problem gambling
Concerns about time and money spent gambling and of
the risk of addiction
Tribal elders, public health officials, policy makers,
teachers, and parents want to know the extent of youth
gambling and problem gambling and what can be done to
prevent it
Research Questions

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How often do Minnesota AI youth gamble?
What games do AI youth play most frequently?
Are there differences in gambling frequency between boys
and girls and between young and older youth?
Is Minnesota AI youth gambling on the rise?
How many underage AI youth gamble on the lottery and in
casinos?
Are there differences in gambling frequency and gambling
problems between AI youth and non-AI peers?
Three Specific Aims
1. Measure 2010 rates of gambling and underage
gambling among AI public school students and
compare rates of gambling between boys and girls,
young and older youth
2. Compare rates of gambling, frequent gambling, and
underage gambling from 1992 to 2010
3. Compare AI to non-AI students on frequent gambling
in 2010
2007 MSS Gambling Items
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During the last 12 months, how often have you done
these activities?
Played cards for money
Bet money on games of personal skill like pool, golf,
or bowling
Bet money on sports teams or horseracing
Bought lottery tickets or scratch offs
Gambled in a casino
Gambled for money online
Five-point Response Options
Not at all
 Less than once a month
 About once a month
 About once a week
 Daily

Race/ethnicity Item on Minnesota
Student Survey
How do you describe yourself? (Mark all that apply)
 American Indian
 Black or African American
 Mexican American or Chicano/Chicana
 Puerto Rican or other Latin American
 Asian American or Pacific Islander (including
Cambodian, Hmong, Korean, Laotian,
Vietnamese)
 White
 I don’t know
2010 Minnesota AI Student Sample
Race
Count
%
AI only
864
26.4
AI and one or more other race 2,404
73.6
Column Total
100
3,268
2010 Minnesota AI Student Sample
by Gender and Grade
Grade
Boys
Girls
Row Total
9th
1,021
1,172
2,193
12th
524
551
1,075
1,723
3,268
Column Total 1,545
First Specific Aim
Measure 2010 rates of gambling and underage
gambling among AI public school students
and compare rates of gambling between
boys and girls, and 9th and 12th grade youth.
Gambling by Gender and Grade
(2010)
60
50
Cards
Skill games
Sports teams
Lottery
Casino
Online
40
30
20
10
0
9th girls
12th girls
9th boys
12th boys
2010 Gambling by Gender and
Grade
Over half of 9th grade boys gamble
 Almost one-third of 9th grade girls gamble
 Three-fourths of 12th grade boys gamble
 Over half of 12th grade girls gamble
 More boys gamble than girls
 More 12th grade students gamble than 9th grade
students

Frequent Gambling by Gender and
Grade (2010)
12
10
Cards
Skill games
Sports teams
Lottery
Casino
Online
8
6
4
2
0
9th girls
12th girls
9th boys
12th boys
2010 Frequent Gambling by Gender
and Grade
Less than one in ten girls is a frequent gambler
 More boys gamble frequently than girls
 More 12th grade students gamble frequently than
9th grade students
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2010 Youth Frequent Gambling
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The games played frequently by 9th grade boys were
informal games of cards, games of personal skill, and sports
betting
The games played frequently by 12th grade boys were cards,
games of personal skill, the lottery, and casino
The games played frequently by 9th grade girls were cards
and games of personal skill
The games played frequently by 12th grade girls were lottery
and casino
More 12th grade students play legalized games frequently
than 9th grade students and there appears to be a shift from
play of informal games to legalized/commercial gambling
as boys and girls get older
Underage Gambling
Underage is defined as playing a legalized form
of gambling by youth under the legal age of 18
 There are three types of legalized gambling on
the MSS:
 (1) Lottery;
 (2) Casino; and
 (3) Online gambling

Underage Gambling by Gender and
Game/Venue (2010)
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Lottery
Casino
Online
Girls
Boys
Underage Gambling (2010)
Most underage youth did not play legalized games
 More boys engaged in underage gambling than girls

Comparison of AI Students to their non-AI Peers on
Weekly/Daily Casino Gambling (2010)
12
10
8
AI
Non-AI
6
4
2
0
9th Grade 12th Grade 9th Grade 12th Grade
Boys
Boys
Girls
Girls
Compare AI Students to their non-AI Peers on
Frequent Gambling
More AI students gambled frequently than their
non-AI peers on most games/venues and the
contrast was most striking for girls
 The ratio of AI boys who were frequent gamblers
ranged from 1 to 2 times that of their non-AI
peers
 The ratio of AI girls who were frequent gamblers
ranged from 2 to 4 times that of their non-AI
peers
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Second Specific Aim:
Compare Trends from 1992 to 2010
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The Minnesota Student Survey has AI 9th and 12th grade
sample sizes of:
725 in 1992 (fewer AI students in 1992 due to race item
allowed only one race)
2,178 in 1995
2,160 in 1998
2,447 in 2001
2,743 in 2004
3,496 in 2007
3,268 in 2010
Gambling at all and
Gambling weekly/daily by Gender
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1992
1995
1998
2001
Boys Gambling Weekly/Daily
Boys Gambling at all
2004
2007
2010
Girls Gambling Weekly/Daily
Girls Gambling at all
Second Specific Aim:
Gambling Trends from 1992 to 2010
Gambling rates declined from 75% in 1992 to 50%
in 2010
 Boys’ gambling declined from 87% in 1992 to 64%
in 2010
 Girls’ gambling declined from 64% in 1992 to 38%
in 2010
 There were fewer AI students gambling in 2010 than
were gambling in 1992
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Second Specific Aim:
Frequent gambling trends: 1992 to 2010
Frequent gambling rates showed a modest decline
from 21% in 1992 to 13% in 2010
 Boys’ frequent gambling declined from 27% in 1992
to 20% in 2010
 Girls’ frequent gambling declined from 14% in 1992
to 7% in 2010
 There were fewer AI students gambling frequently
in 2010 than were gambling frequently in 1992
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Gambling Weekly/Daily by
9th Grade Boys by Game
30
25
Cards
Skill games
Sports teams
Lottery
Casino
Online
20
15
10
5
0
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
9th Grade Boys Frequent Gambling
Trends from 1992 to 2010
Declines in most games from 2004 to 2010
 Large fluctuations for cards, sports betting, betting
on games of skill, and the lottery with peaks for
these games in 1998 with subsequent declines in
2010
 Casino gambling was fairly stable but also showed
declines from 2001 to 2010
 There were fewer 9th grade boys gambling
frequently in 2010 than in 1992
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Gambling Weekly/Daily by
12th Grade Boys by Game
25
20
Cards
Skill games
Sports teams
Lottery
Casino
Online
15
10
5
0
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
12th Grade Boys Frequent Gambling
Trends from 1992 to 2010
Declines in every game from 2004 to 2010
 Large fluctuations for cards, sports betting, betting
on games of skill, and the lottery with peaks in the
early 2000 with subsequent declines
 Casino gambling showed gradual declines from
2001 to 2010
 There were fewer 12th grade boys gambling
frequently in 2010 than in all previous years
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Gambling Weekly/Daily by
9th Grade Girls by Game
7
6
Cards
Skill games
Sports teams
Lottery
Casino
Online
5
4
3
2
1
0
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
9th Grade Girls Frequent Gambling
Trends from 1992 to 2010
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Declines in cards, sports betting and casino gambling from
2004 to 2010
No significant change in any game from 2007 to 2010
Lottery play showed gradual declines from 1992 to 2010
and has been cut by more than half from 5% to 2%
Casino gambling has been fairly stable around 1% from
1998 to 2010
There were fewer 9th grade girls gambling frequently in
2010 (6%) than in 1992 (14%)
Gambling Weekly/Daily by
12th Grade Girls by Game
14
12
Cards
Skill games
Sports teams
Lottery
Casino
Online
10
8
6
4
2
0
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
12th Grade Girls Frequent Gambling
Trends from 1992 to 2010
Little change in frequent gambling from 2007 to
2010
 Lottery play peaked in 2001 at 12% and has
subsequently declined by half to 6% in 2010
 Most games were stable from 2007 to 2010 except
casino gambling which decreased from 4.3% in
2007 to 3.4% in 2010
 There were fewer girls gambling frequently in 2010
(9%) than in 1992 (13%)
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Trends in Frequent Gambling
Frequent gambling is engaged in by a small
percentage of youth, and it has been fairly stable
from 1992 to 2010 with a couple exceptions:
 (1) A peak in lottery play in 1998 by 12th grade
boys and a peak in 2001 for 12th grade girls
 (2) Card playing has declined significantly from
2001 to 2010
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Why are fewer AI youth gambling?
Your guess?
 Novelty of gambling may have worn off
 Prevention efforts have been effective
 Youth may be spending their time and money on
other activities
 Downturn in the economy; youth have less
spending money
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Trends in Underage Lottery and
Casino Gambling by Gender
50
45
40
Boys Lottery
Girls Lottery
Boys Casino
Girls Casino
Boys Online
Girls Online
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
1992
1995
1998
2001
2004
2007
2010
Trends in Underage Lottery and
Casino Gambling
High rates of underage lottery play by boys and
girls starting in 1992 with consistent declines from
1992 to 2010
 Boys underage casino gambling showed consistent
modest declines from 1998 to 2010
 Girls underage casino gambling is relatively
uncommon and has been fairly stable at about 24% from 1998 to 2007
 Underage online gambling has shown declines
from 2007 to 2010 for both boys and girls
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Changes from 1992 to 2010
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The percentage of 9th and 12th grade boys playing cards
frequently, was cut in half from 2004 to 2010
9th grade girls also showed a drop by half from 2004 to 2010
and 12th grade girls were stable at 3% in 2004, 2007 and
2010
This data bears out the decline in the popularity of poker
Significant reductions in underage lottery play and casino
gambling
Concerns Identified in this Study
First, there is a small but substantial segment of the
AI youth population (7% of girls and 20% of boys)
that are frequent gamblers
 Second, AI youth have higher rates of frequent
gambling than their non-AI peers, particularly for
girls
 Third, underage AI youth report playing the lottery,
gambling in casinos and gambling online
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Recommendations
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Youth gamble, so we need to teach them that if they choose
to gamble, they need to follow guidelines about time and
money in order to avoid negative consequences of gambling
and also about the warning signs of developing problem
gambling
Some youth may only need information to assist them in
making informed and healthy decisions about gambling
Some youth who are already over-involved in gambling will
require more intensive prevention and intervention efforts
Develop and evaluate youth gambling awareness and
prevention programs
Future Research Directions
Explore validity of underage casino gambling
 Explore why AI youth have higher rates of gambling
than their non-AI peers
 Measure gambling among youth out of the
mainstream, that is, youth in alternative learning
centers and juvenile detention centers
 Explore which correlates of gambling may serve as
risk and protective factors that will have
implications for public awareness and prevention
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Final Thoughts
For most adolescents, informal gambling is an
infrequent and harmless pastime. However, the
risk exists that informal gambling may develop
into problem gambling, and therefore, youths
require accurate information about the inherent
risks of gambling.
 The goal is that within the context of easy access
to gambling, we will provide resources to youth to
assist them in making healthy and informed
decisions about their own gambling behavior
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For more information
Contact Randy Stinchfield, Ph.D.: [email protected]
References:
Stinchfield, R. (2011). Gambling among Minnesota Public School Students from
1992 to 2010: Declines in Youth Gambling. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors,
25(1), 108-117.
Stinchfield, R., & Winters, K. C. (2004). Adolescents and young adults. In J. E.
Grant & M. N. Potenza (Eds.), Pathological gambling: A clinical guide to
treatment (pp. 69-81). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc.
Stinchfield, R. (2002). Youth Gambling: How Big a Problem? Psychiatric Annals,
32, 197-202.
Stinchfield, R. (2001). A comparison of gambling among Minnesota public school
students in 1992, 1995, and 1998. Journal of Gambling Studies, 17, 273-296
Stinchfield, R. (2000). Gambling and correlates of gambling among Minnesota
public school students. Journal of Gambling Studies, 16, 153-173.
Stinchfield, R., Cassuto, N., Winters, K., & Latimer, W. (1997). Prevalence of
gambling among Minnesota Public School Students in 1992 and 1995. Journal of
Gambling Studies, 13, 25-48.