ICRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction
SAVE THE DATE
Information below is for the 2019 NCRG Conference:
Conference Venue and Hotel Reservations
CONFERENCE VENUE AND HOTEL RESERVATIONS for 2019 Conference (to be updated for 2020)
VENUE
The NCRG Conference is co-located with Global Gaming Expo (G2E) in the Las Vegas Sands Convention Center. For more information about G2E, visit www.globalgamingexpo.com.
HOTELS
To give you a wide range of lodging choices, G2E has opened up its extensive hotel options to NCRG Conference attendees. Book your hotel reservation at www.globalgamingexpo.com by clicking on “G2E Travel Desk.” Some of the options include:
- The Venetian Resort Hotel/The Palazzo, a short walk to the conference venue. Rates start at $259/night*
- Flamingo Las Vegas. Rates start at $113.44/night*
- Harrah’s Las Vegas. Rates start at $107.22/night
- The Linq Las Vegas. Rates start at $122.33/night*
- The Mirage. Rates start at $148.75/night*
*These prices are estimates at the time of announcement. Rates do not include resort fees (internet, fitness centers, etc.)
SUNDAY, OCT. 13, 2019
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Registration
9 a.m. - Noon
Pre-Con Workshop for Clinicians (3 CE Hours)
CBT for Addictions: Customizing Your Strategies to Meet the Needs of People from Diverse Backgrounds
Leader: Bruce Liese, PhD, University of Kansas Medical Center
Dr. Liese will lead this active, experiential three-hour workshop that will cover strategies for conceptualizing people with addictions, understanding that timely, accurate case conceptualizations are necessary for choosing optimal CBT techniques for individuals from diverse backgrounds. The workshop will focus on the decision-making process that should take place before, during, and after providing CBT to people with addictions.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the impact of diversity on treatment delivery
- Identify one aspect of the decision-making process when providing CBT
1 p.m. Welcome
Speaker: Alan Feldman, National Center for Responsible Gaming
1:15 -2:15 p.m.
Plenary Session (1 CE Hours)
Twenty Years of Gambling Research
Panel: Robert Ladouceur, PhD, Laval University
Marc Potenza, MD, PhD, Yale University
What have we learned after twenty years of gambling disorder research? A distinguished panel of the leading gambling researchers will trace the evolution of the field and also point to new directions for future inquiry.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify one understanding of gambling disorder that has changed over the past twenty years
- Identify one area of gambling disorder research that needs further inquiry
2:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Plenary Session (1.25 CE Hour)
20th Anniversary of the National Gambling Impact Study Commission
Panel: Frank Fahrenkopf, Jr.
Katherine Spilde, PhD, MBA, San Diego State University
Christine Reilly, National Center for Responsible Gaming
Roger Gros, Global Gaming Business
The National Gambling Impact Study Commission was charged by Congress with “a very broad and difficult task—to conduct a comprehensive legal and factual study of the social and economic implications of gambling in the United States.” The commission issued its report in 1999. This panel will reflect on the impact of the report on the gambling landscape after 20 years.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify one recommendation related to gambling disorder made by the commission
- Identify one aspect of the impact made by the commission on the gambling landscape
3:45 p.m. Refreshment Break
Sponsored by Caesars Entertainment
4-5 p.m.
Plenary Session (1 CE Hour)
Health Disparities and Minorities in Gambling and Addiction
Panel: Victor Ortiz, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
Jessica Perrotte, University of Texas at San Antonio
Dipali Rinker, PhD, University of Houston
All fields of study struggle with a historical disconnect from ethnic, socio-economic and cultural minorities, and the fields of addiction and gambling are no exceptions. This session offers multiple views on ameliorating this situation in the context of studying and developing public health responses to gambling disorder.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify one health disparity in the public health efforts to address gambling and alcohol use disorders
- Identify one finding from the research on Asian-Americans
5:15 - 6:30 p.m.
Plenary Session (1.25 CE Hours)
Gambling Treatment Diversion Court in Nevada
Panel: Judge Cheryl Moss, Eighth Judicial Court
Dayvid Figler, Figler Law Group
The Gambling Treatment Diversion Court, modeled on specialty courts such as drug court, helps disordered gamblers recover without incarceration. This session will focus on the first such court in Nevada.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the mission of the Gambling Treatment Diversion Court
- Identify how gambling court differs from drug court
6:30 - 8 p.m. Reception and Poster Session
MONDAY, OCT. 14, 2019
7 - 8 a.m. Open AA/GA Meeting
Networking Breakfast for all Attendees
8 - 9 a.m.
Plenary Session (1 CE Hour)
How to Work with Clients Who Don’t Want to Quit Gambling
Speaker: Janine Robinson, Responsible Gaming Council
This session will look at the ethical and practice issues related to working with clients who may have severe gambling problems but do not want to quit gambling. It will cover ways to consider using effective harm reduction strategies and will challenge clinicians to consider harm reduction and abstinence treatment goals in the context of providing client-centered problem gambling care.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify ethical issues related to harm reduction/abstinence in gambling treatment
- Identify strategies to increase effectiveness, engagement and rapport with gambling clients
- Challenge our assumptions of the role of abstinence/harm reduction in gambling care
9:15-10:15 a.m.
Plenary Session (1 CE Hour)
Internet Interventions for Problem Drinking and Problem Gambling
Speaker: John Cunningham, PhD, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
There is a need for Internet interventions, especially for gambling disorder which has a low rate of treatment-seeking. But do they work? Dr. Cunningham will review online interventions for problem drinking and problem gambling. He will focus on the research base for these interventions including his own studies.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the current research on the effectiveness of online interventions for problem gambling and problem drinking
- Identify the different types of online interventions available for problem gambling and problem drinking
- Identify the implications of the co-occurrence of problem gambling, problem drinking, and of other mental health concerns on the provision of online services for problem gambling
10:15 a.m. Refreshment Break
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.
Plenary Session (1.25 CE Hours)
Three Ways that Neighborhood Disadvantage is Associated with Disordered Gambling
Speaker: Wendy Slutske, PhD, University of Missouri, Columbia
Genetic risk factors and exposure to neighborhood disadvantage are both associated with disordered gambling. A particular challenge in understanding how neighborhood disadvantage might influence one’s risk for disordered gambling is in distinguishing causal effects of neighborhood disadvantage from processes of selection in which individuals with different characteristics come to live in different types of neighborhoods. This presentation will weave together the research on genetic and neighborhood effects by providing evidence from genetically-informed research about three ways that neighborhood disadvantage is associated with disordered gambling. Using results from a study of Australian twins, the session will provide evidence that: (1) the genetic risk for disordered gambling makes one more likely to be exposed to neighborhoods in which there is greater disadvantage (aka “selection”), (2) the genetic risk for disordered gambling is more likely to be actualized within such settings (or conversely, that the genetic risk for disordered gambling may make one more sensitive to the deleterious effects of living in a disadvantaged neighborhood), and (3) after controlling for genetic and environmental confounds, exposure to neighborhood disadvantage appears to have a causal influence on disordered gambling. Understanding how neighborhood effects contribute to disordered gambling is important for intervention design and policy because it can help to focus efforts on where it is most likely to be effective, that is, at the individual-, family- or neighborhood-level.
Learning objectives
- Appreciate how “correlation does not imply causation” by considering the significant correlation between neighborhood disadvantage and disordered gambling
- Understand that genes may have their influences via guiding one’s selection into or out of certain environments
Noon- 1 p.m. Awards Luncheon
CONCURRENT SPECIAL INTEREST TRACKS
Note: All attendees are welcome to participate in either track.
1:15-2:15 p.m.
Track for Clinicians, Researchers and Public Health Professionals
Modeling Recovery Capital in Gambling Disorder (1 CE Hour)
Speaker: Belle Gavriel-Fried, PhD, Tel Aviv University
Recovery capital is a conceptual framework that defines the internal and external resources individuals can access and utilize during recovery (e.g., human, social, community, financial). This holistic approach represents a paradigmatic shift from pathology to strengths.
This talk will present the first application of the concept of recovery capital (which was developed and has mainly been implemented in individuals with substance use disorders) to the gambling field. Dr. Gavriel-Fried will describe a recovery capital model developed specifically for individuals recovering from gambling disorder and the findings from a study using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Recommendations for therapy and practice will be discussed.
Learning Objectives:
- Define recovery capital
- Identify one finding from the research
Track for Industry Professionals and Regulators
Low Risk Gambling Guidelines (1 CE Hour)
Speaker: David Hodgins, PhD, University of Calgary
Dr. Hodgins will report on longitudinal data in Canada on low‐risk gambling thresholds. Gamblers who exceed any of the low‐risk limits are four times more likely to experience future harm than those who do not. He will discuss the implications of this research for public health and responsible gambling.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the low-risk limits studied in the research
- Identify one implication of this research for public health strategies and responsible gambling
2:30-3:30 p.m.
Track for Clinicians, Researchers and Public Health Professionals
Suicide and Gambling: A Strategic Approach in Prevention Science (1 CE Hour)
Speaker: Victor Ortiz, MSW, LADC I, CADCII, Massachusetts Department of Public Health
According to the World Health Organization, factors such as mood disorders, stressful life events or circumstances and a history of physical or sexual abuse in childhood put people at increased risk for harming themselves (World Health Organization, 2002). All of these factors are common among those experiencing problems related to gambling. The DSM-5 states that up to half of individuals in treatment for a gambling disorder have suicidal ideation and about 17 percent have attempted suicide. Evidence demonstrates a need for a strategic public health approach to gambling and suicide, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Office of Problem Gambling Services and the Suicide Prevention Program are leading statewide efforts to raise awareness, develop resources, and tools to mitigate harm. This session will highlight the array of efforts and a strategic approach in prevention to ensure community centered and culturally responsive services.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand common factors and clinical barriers associated with gambling disorders and suicide
- Identify effective steps in establishing prevention strategies
- Identify resources and screening tools
Track for Industry Professionals and Regulators
Tech-ing it to the limit: Video Games, eSports, and Responsible Gambling (1 CE Hour)
Speaker: Brett Abarbanel, Ph.D., University of Nevada, Las Vegas
New forms of gambling such as wagering on eSports offer new challenges for responsible gambling strategies. Dr. Abarbanel will explore these challenges and the implications for developing responsible gambling policies and procedures.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify one challenge posed by new forms of gambling
- Identify one implication of non-traditional forms of wagering for responsible gambling
3:30 p.m. Refreshment Break
3:45-4:45 p.m.
Track for Clinicians, Researchers and Public Health Professionals
Update on Gambling Disorder and Gaming Disorder in the ICD-11 (1 CE Hour)
Speaker: Marc Potenza, MD, PhD, Yale University School of Medicine
The International Classification of Disease, Eleventh Revision (ICD-11), a system of medical coding created by the World Health Organization (WHO) for documenting diagnoses, diseases, signs and symptoms and social circumstances, was presented in 2019 and will be in effect by 2022. Dr. Potenza will provide an update on gambling disorder and gaming disorder in the ICD.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the diagnosis of gambling disorder according to the ICD-11
- Define the diagnosis of gaming disorder according to the ICD-11
Track for Industry Professionals and Regulators
Measuring Responsible Gaming Amongst Players: The Positive Play Scale (1 CE Hour)
Speaker: Richard Wood, PhD, GamRes Limited
Dr. Wood will discuss the research that developed the Positive Play Scale (PPS). The PPS can be used by the gambling industry to objectively assess the effectiveness of their responsible gambling (RG) strategy, pinpoint specific areas for future focus, as well as examine the utility of new RG initiatives that aim to promote healthy patterns of gambling consumption.
Learning Objectives:
- Define the Positive Play Scale
- Identify one way in which the Positive Play Scale promotes healthy gambling
