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Kainaakiiksi
Secretariat Gaming Research
The Executive Summary and Conclusions from the Report Summary are provided below.
The information presented in this study
is clear justification for further
research and a concerted effort to
assist members of the Blood Reserve to
overcome the devastation caused by
problem gambling. Descriptive accounts
of the “negative effects”
demonstrate how spouses, children, and
the problem gambler are impacted.
Simultaneously, it is obvious that most
respondents, in both the surveys and
focus groups, are not aware of any
assistance for dealing with problem
gambling, and
further, they are not in
agreement about what venue the
assistance should take. Dealing with
problem gambling in a community requires
involvement of service providers, local
government and all the residents of the
community, in the development of a
positive community action plan. Finally, the Community Action Plan includes provision for building a facility where individuals will attend self-help and employability workshops, receive counseling, learn more about their culture/language, participate in support groups and embrace principles of self-empowerment. The basic premise is individuals who learn more about themselves, understand the causes of addictions, and make healthier choices, will be successful in overcoming the addiction. Even though the process is long-term, the effects will be evidenced in the reduction of crime and violence on the Reserve, the creation of a group of individuals will employability skills, and the development of community action plans for specific communities, a process of overall empowerment.
A number of conclusions can be drawn
from the research: gambling in the past
was more about games and having fun;
gambling today is a problem for many
residents of the Blood Reserve, the
effects are most evident in family
problems and further addictions, and
people do not know where to access help
for problem gambling. Of interest, when
sources of help were identified, they
were also discounted because the elders
felt the counselors were not good role
models. In fact, the graphic
descriptions of the negative effects of
addictions are evident throughout the
survey results and the focus group
discussions. Overall, there was
consensus that gambling, which was
traditionally a “fun” activity, has
evolved into a problem that has become
widespread among the members of the
Reserve. The conclusions from the community action plan are much more pragmatic: gamblers can be helped only as much as they accept the help; there are a number of simple, inexpensive strategies toward awareness and changing the perception of gambling, and finally, some of the strategies which involve long-term goals are highly dependent on a PRIDE facility and existing support services on the Reserve.
Kainaakiiksi Secretariat Gaming Research Report Summary
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