Jcm/aga Fund-raiser Pushes Gaming Contributions For Pathological Gambling Research To $7.4 Million
NCRG also Announces “Call for Nominations” for Scientific Achievement Awards Program
Jun 17, 2002
Kansas City, Mo.—The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) received a record $65,000 in proceeds from the Fourth Annual JCM-AGA Golf Classic held recently in Henderson, Nev., driving total gaming industry contributions to the NCRG to $7.4 million.
All proceeds from the golf tournament, hosted by JCM American Corporation and the American Gaming Association (AGA), benefit the NCRG in support of scientific research and education on disordered gambling. In each of its previous three years the tournament has raised up to $50,000 for the NCRG, making this year’s proceeds of $65,000 the largest amount raised to date.
The tournament, held May 13 at the Revere at Anthem, included 29 corporate sponsors and a full playing field of 148 players from the gaming industry and related suppliers and vendors. The event also featured a live auction with golf merchandise and unique vintage wines from Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada.
“We are very proud to do our part in supporting the valuable research that is funded by the NCRG, as well as their public education efforts on disordered gambling,” said Akiyoshi Isoi, president of JCM. “We look forward to next year’s event and our continued involvement in helping to raise awareness of this important issue. It is everyone’s role in the gaming industry and related fields to address this issue and do what we can to help combat the problem.”
The NCRG was created by the gaming industry to address disordered gambling through independent research and education. The organization also promotes public awareness of problem and youth gambling through conferences and other programs for researchers, treatment providers, gaming industry employees and public policy-makers. The research will lead to effective prevention and treatment of disordered gambling and has the potential to unravel the mysteries of a wide range of addictive disorders.
Boyd Gaming Corporation provided the start-up funds for the NCRG in 1996 and made a 10-year pledge of $875,000. Other leading gaming companies, including Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., International Game Technology, Mandalay Resort Group, MGM MIRAGE and Park Place Entertainment Corporation, were early and generous supporters.
Today, with the contributions of the casino gaming industry and its employees, equipment manufacturers, vendors, nongaming organizations and concerned individuals, more than $7 million has been committed to the NCRG. This financial support has enabled the NCRG to attract the best minds from the most prestigious institutions to conduct research in this uncharted field.
To this end, the NCRG recently announced that it will honor those individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of gambling research through a “Scientific Achievement Awards” program. The annual program will recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the study of gambling and gambling-related problems. An independent committee of distinguished leaders in the field of addictions and gambling research will oversee the program.
Nomination categories include a “Young Investigator Award,” which will recognize excellence in scientific contributions in the field of gambling studies by researchers who have received an advanced professional degree within the last 10 years; and a “Senior Investigator Award,” which will honor investigators whose work has led to important advancements, discoveries or developments in the field of gambling related research. Prizes of up to $5,000 will be awarded at the NCRG’s 2002 annual conference in Las Vegas.
NCRG Chairman Maj. Gen. Paul A. Harvey (Ret.) relayed his support for the NCRG’s recent activities. ‘We are extremely grateful to JCM and the AGA for holding their annual golf fund-raiser, which continues to experience tremendous success. Through this generous support, we will continue to make great strides toward helping individuals with gambling-related problems.
“It is equally important to acknowledge those individuals who actually conduct the scientific research into gambling disorders,” added Harvey. “The ground-breaking research that has been carried out in the short time the NCRG has been in existence is proof that we are on a path to a greater understanding of gambling disorders – one that will aid in developing effective tools for prevention and treatment. The NCRG’s scientific achievement awards program is one small way we can say ‘thank you and continue the fine work’.”
JCM American Corporation, located in Las Vegas, is a manufacturer of high quality currency equipment. JCM introduced the bill validator specially designed for the gaming industry in 1985. Since then, the company has introduced a full line of revolutionary products including the World Bill Acceptor (WBA™), which has become the industry standard. JCM is committed to providing the industry with the utmost in security, efficiency and quality.
The AGA represents the commercial casino-entertainment industry by addressing federal legislative and regulatory issues. The association also serves as a clearinghouse for information, develops educational and advocacy programs and provides leadership on industry-related issues of public concern.
The NCRG was established in 1996 to address the need for a greater understanding of pathological gambling and related disorders. Since 1996, the NCRG has awarded $3.7 million in research grants to more than 20 institutions, and in 2000 awarded a $2.4 million contract to Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addictions to establish the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders to carry out the research initiatives first established by the NCRG.
