The Grey Eagle Casino on the Tsuu T'ina First Nation, is even more popular than expected.

The casino has turned into a gold mine, pumping over $116,000, every two days, into the band's charitable fund. "It's certainly exceeded our projections by a considerable amount," says Peter Manywounds, a spokesperson for the band.

The band's charitable fund will be used to improve infrastructure and housing on the Tsuu T'ina land.

There is a waiting list of 350 people that need housing and, because casino profits have been so large, it looks as though those homes will be built within five years.

The band says casino money will also be used to pave every road on the reserve, teach children the Tsuu T'ina language and send students to university. "Every single Tsuu T'ina person who is qualified to go to post secondary education, at whatever institution, is going to go because of the amount of revenue. Last year we had 85 qualified applicants who couldn't go because there was no money. What a change in one year," says Manywounds.

Manywounds says the casino windfall will make life a lot better on the reserve but stresses there won't be any handouts for band members. "We'll help you start a business, we will give you career options, we'll have a job for every person on the reserve but, you know, if you are expecting to sit on the couch and collect thousands of dollars a month it's not going to happen."

While the money continues to flow for the Tsuu T'ina charity, other charities that rely on gambling revenue are not so lucky these days.

In the first quarter of 2007, a two-day charity casino in the city raised just over $94,000 thousand dollars. In the first quarter of 2008, that same two-day charity casino only took in $77,275.