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Sociocultural Influences on Gambling and Alcohol Use Among Native Americans in the United States

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Abstract

Gambling opportunities on and near Native American lands have increased in recent decades; yet there is a lack of research examining the patterns of problem gambling and alcohol abuse among Native Americans in the US. Traditional Native American cultural identity may be a protective factor for problem gambling and alcohol abuse among Native Americans. Telephone interviews were conducted with 415 Native American adults aged 18 years and older across the US. The past-year prevalence of gambling among Native Americans is similar to the rate for non-Native Americans in the US (80 vs. 77 %). However, Native Americans have over twice the rate of problem gambling as the US sample (18 vs. 8 %). Although Native Americans have a lower rate of past-year alcohol use than the US population (47 vs. 68 %), they have a somewhat higher rate of alcohol abuse than their US counterparts (5.5 vs. 4.3 %). Logistic regression analysis, with problem gambling as the dependent variable, revealed that lower socioeconomic status is significantly associated with an increased odds of problem gambling for Native Americans. Counter to the hypothesis, the higher the score on the Native American orientation, the higher the odds of being a problem gambler. Further, living by the “White way of life” was associated with a decreased odds of being a problem gambler; and perceived gambling convenience was associated with an increased odds of being a problem gambler. None of the Native American factors was significant in predicting alcohol abuse. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into the influence of cultural factors on Native American gambling.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by Grant R21A020952 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to Grace M. Barnes, Ph.D., Principal Investigator.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Standard

This research was approved by the Social and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board at the University at Buffalo, IRB # IRB00003128. All human subjects gave their informed consent prior to being interviewed.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brown School Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA

    David A. Patterson—Silver Wolf (Adelv unegv Waya)

  2. Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, 1021 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA

    John W. Welte, Grace M. Barnes & Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell

  3. Department of Anthropology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA

    Paul Spicer

Authors
  1. David A. Patterson—Silver Wolf (Adelv unegv Waya)
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  2. John W. Welte
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  3. Grace M. Barnes
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  4. Marie-Cecile O. Tidwell
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  5. Paul Spicer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Grace M. Barnes.

Appendix 1: Native American Measures

Appendix 1: Native American Measures

Native American Activities in the Past 12 Months

  • Native American dancing.

  • Native American singing.

  • Native American drum group.

  • Native American games and sports.

  • Native American storytelling or cultural teachings.

  • Native American beading or jewelry-making.

  • Making Native American moccasins or clothing.

  • Tanning animal hides using Native American methods.

  • Ghost suppers.

  • Sweat Lodges.

  • Seasonal feasts.

  • Naming ceremonies.

  • Healing ceremonies.

  • Fasting ceremonies.

  • Giveaways.

  • Pow-wows.

Biculturalism Measure—Cronbach’s α = 0.74 for live by the Native American way of life and 0.80 for live by the White-American way of life

Some Native Americans talk about living life in traditional Native American ways.

Some Native Americans talk about living life in White-American ways.

Do you live by or follow the Native American or tribal way of life,

“Not at all”… “A little”…”Some”… or “A lot”?

Do you live by or follow the White-American way of life,

“Not at all”… “A little”…”Some”… or “A lot”?

Does your immediate family live by or follow the Native American or tribal way of life, “Not at all”… “A little”…”Some”… or “A lot”?

Does your immediate family live by or follow the White-American way of life,

“Not at all”… “A little”…”Some”… or “A lot”?

Do your close friends live by or follow the Native American or tribal way of life,

“Not at all”… “A little”…”Some”… or “A lot”?

Do your close friends live by or follow the White-American way of life,

“Not at all”… “A little”…”Some”… or “A lot”?

Native American Identity—Cronbach’s α = 0.87 for 12-item scale

The next set of questions is about how being Native American affects your feelings and behaviors. Please let me know whether you “Strongly Agree”…“Somewhat Agree”… “Somewhat Disagree”…or “Strongly Disagree” with the following statements.

I have spent time trying to find out more about being Native American, such as Native American history, traditions, and customs.

I am active in organizations or social groups that include mostly Native American members.

I have a clear sense of my Native American background and what it means for me.

I think a lot about how my life will be affected by being a Native American.

I am happy that I am a Native American.

I have a strong sense of belonging to my Native American community.

I understand what my Native American membership means to me, in terms of how to relate to my own group and other groups.

In order to learn more about my Native American background, I have often talked to other people about being Native American.

I have a lot of pride in my Native American community and its accomplishments.

I participate in Native American cultural practices, such as special food, music, or customs.

I feel a strong attachment toward my Native American community.

I feel good about my Native American background.

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Patterson—Silver Wolf (Adelv unegv Waya), D.A., Welte, J.W., Barnes, G.M. et al. Sociocultural Influences on Gambling and Alcohol Use Among Native Americans in the United States. J Gambl Stud 31, 1387–1404 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10899-014-9512-z

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