Conference on Gambling and Addiction

The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) showcases new research on gambling disorders during a poster session and reception held at the 12th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction in Las Vegas, Nev. The poster session on October 2, 2011 at the Las Vegas Sands Expo and Convention Center is an opportunity for investigators to report their empirical research and converse with conference attendees about their findings. We especially encourage young investigators to submit abstracts. The deadline to submit abstracts is August 1, 2011.

Do you know of a researcher, educator or a recent publication that has made an impact in the field of gambling disorder research? The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG), the largest private source of funding for peer-reviewed research on disordered gambling in the U.S., annually recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of gambling studies with the NCRG Scientific Achievement Award. This year’s award will be presented during the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction in Las Vegas, October 2-4, 2011. The deadline for nominations is August 1, 2011.

Sunday's third general session at the 11th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction focused on an innovative approach to connecting health care providers and researchers with people in under-served communities.

Linda Cottler, Ph.D., professor of of epidemiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, presented “HealthStreet: An Innovative Strategy for Involving Under-served Populations in Research on Gambling and Other Disorders.” The HealthStreet program, which began in the 1990s as an HIV treatment program housed in a rundown movie theater, has expanded to collect data on dozens of health measures, while connecting people to health resources and research studies in every corner of St. Louis.

The 11^th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction moved to the Las Vegas Convention Center yesterday where Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the premier trade show and conference event for the international gaming entertainment industry, is currently taking place. During a session yesterday morning, a panel made up of industry operators and manufactures and a state association representative discussed ways to make the most of responsible gaming awareness weeks. 

Click below for the NCRG Blog Team interview with Sarah Nelson, Ph.D., an associate director for research at the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, and an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Nelson discusses internet gambling and self-exclusion.

Click here for the NCRG Blog Team interview with Cheryl Currie, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, Canada, and winner of the NCRG’s 2010 Outstanding Poster award.  Cheryl discusses her research and her experience at the NCRG conference.

The NCRG has named David C. Hodgins, Ph.D., professor of psychology and adjunct professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Calgary, the recipient of the 2010 Scientific Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contributions to the field of disordered gambling research. The award was presented at a luncheon on Nov. 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino during the 11^th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction.

A Sunday-evening breakout session at the 11^th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction focused on the effectiveness of behavioral strategies and pharmacological (drug) treatments for disordered gambling.

The 11^th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction held a plenary session today that looked at problem gambling among diverse populations, as problem and pathological gambling prevalence rates vary between racial/ethnic groups. One of the presenters, Renee Cunningham-Williams, Ph.D., M.P.E, LCSW, associate professor at the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, applauded the NCRG and the Institute for holding a session on problem gambling and diverse populations, as it isn’t a topic that is frequently presented at conferences.  

Prior to the start of the 11^th annual Conference on Gambling and Addiction, Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology in the department of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and Catherine Striley, Ph.D., M.P.E., M.S.W., ACSW, LCSW, assistant director of the master in psychiatric epidemiology program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, held a workshop to provide young investigators with advice for career development.