Key Research Findings
Support from the ICRG has led to a number of significant advancements in the field of research on gambling disorders. ICRG grants have funded research leading to:
- The first reliable statistics of how many people have the disorder:
- Harvard’s estimate of approximately 1 percent of the adult population has been verified by independent studies and the National Academy of Sciences
- Promising treatments for gambling disorder
- More evidence for the role of genetics in the development of the disorder
- A greater understanding of youth gambling
- New instruments for accurately measuring, screening and diagnosing a gambling disorder
- The first national survey of gambling on college campuses
- A more sophisticated understanding of the brain’s reward system
- A new understanding of addiction as a syndrome
- A better understanding of the health risks of casino employees
- A model for evaluating self-exclusion and treatment programs
- A framework for understanding gambling as a public health issue
For additional information on these findings, visit the Find a Study section of our Research Library or contact Christine Reilly (creilly@icrg.org; 978-338-6610).