24th Annual ICRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction Wraps Up!
Many thanks to the attendees, speakers, moderators, and sponsors who participated in the 2023 ICRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction. We welcomed attendees from the U.S., Canada, Jamaica, Australia, Botswana, Panama, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Germany, Virgin Islands and South Africa. The conference also
brought together treatment providers, public health professionals, researchers, students, gaming regulators and industry professionals, including responsible gambling specialists for an exploration of the latest research on gambling disorder and responsible gambling. We aim to provoke spirited discourse on these matters. Here are
some of the intriguing comments made by our speakers:
“When I look out at the responsible gambling landscape, I see a lot of states chasing tactics instead of starting with a goal, building strategies that address that goal, and then choosing the tactics that fit their strategies.”
Nathan Smith, PhD, Kindbridge Research Institute, conference session: “Trends Shaping the Future of Responsible Gaming”
“We have endless debates about whether gaming is gambling, whereas the more important question is, what are the harms of video games?”
Luke Clark, PhD, University of British Columbia, conference session: “The Gamblers of the Future? Migration from Video Games to Gambling among Young Adults”
“Nearly all states have laws and health policies that discriminate against people with gambling disorder. For a good model, look at New York State, which allows Medicaid reimbursement for gambling disorder treatment.”
Stacey Tovino, JD, PhD, University of Oklahoma College of Law, conference session: “Institutional Bias Against Persons with Gambling Disorder”
“There is nothing about sports wagering itself that makes it a riskier form of gambling. But sports wagering does tend to attract players that seem to be at higher risk for gambling problems.”
Joshua Grubbs, PhD, University of New Mexico, conference session: “Trajectories of Sports Wagering Over Time”
We look forward to seeing you next year at our 25 th anniversary conference! In the meantime, watch this space for announcements of the 2024 ICRG Webinar Series.
