I provide new evidence on the effect of Native American casino openings on alcohol
behaviors of Native Americans and non-Native Americans from 2004-2012 using data
from Centers for Disease Control’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
and difference-in-difference models with county and year fixed effects. Native American
casino openings are associated with significant increases in drinking participation in the
past month and the average number of drinks consumed per occasion for non-Native
Americans. I also find that Native American casinos are associated with significant
increases binge drinking among non-Native Americans by 11%; effects on Native
Americans are inconclusive. The casino-related increases in binge drinking for non-Native
Americans are larger among men, 18-40 year olds, and individuals with a high school
degree or less. These findings provide a mechanism for results from previous work that
casinos increase drunk driving fatalities and crime.