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gambling in alberta - Research Services - University of Lethbridge

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First Nations Cas<strong>in</strong>os/Municipal Relationships<br />

There are currently five First Nations cas<strong>in</strong>os operat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Alberta (Grey Eagle Cas<strong>in</strong>o, Tsuu T’<strong>in</strong>a<br />

Nation; River Cree Resorts & Cas<strong>in</strong>o, Enoch Cree Nation; Stoney Nakoda Resort, Stoney Nation;<br />

Cas<strong>in</strong>o Dene, Cold Lake First Nation, Eagle River Cas<strong>in</strong>o, Alexis Nation). Four are located<br />

immediately adjacent to a city or town: Calgary, Edmonton, Whitecourt and Cold Lake. Each<br />

impacts the neighbour<strong>in</strong>g city or town <strong>in</strong> various ways, although these impacts vary. They are<br />

detailed <strong>in</strong> the First Nations section <strong>of</strong> this report.<br />

Only the Edmonton mayor expressed overt concern about the River Cree Resort and Cas<strong>in</strong>o,<br />

located on the city’s western edge. While most mayors highlighted cas<strong>in</strong>o tourism as a positive,<br />

the Edmonton mayor <strong>of</strong>fered concern at how many city residents who once spent their money<br />

at local cas<strong>in</strong>os are now travel<strong>in</strong>g to and spend<strong>in</strong>g their money at the First Nation cas<strong>in</strong>o.<br />

[Although it was not mentioned that this was an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g turnabout <strong>in</strong> that First Nations<br />

people have always spent a significant portion <strong>of</strong> their <strong>in</strong>comes <strong>in</strong> Edmonton, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Edmonton cas<strong>in</strong>os]. Similar sentiments were conveyed by community representatives from<br />

Whitecourt, who also cited economic leakage as a concern.<br />

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