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Harvard Medical School

Revolutions in the Study of Gambling Disorders: Howard Shaffer at the NCPG Conference, Part 2

by: NCRG staff | Aug 4, 2011

Part two of the series recapping Dr. Howard Shaffer’s keynote address at the 25th National Conference on Problem Gambling in Boston, Mass. To read part one of the Gambling Disorders 360° series, click here.

After laying the foundation for his presentation by outlining the theoretical revolutions that have defined our understanding of gambling disorders, Dr. Howard Shaffer then proposed that the next revolution in understanding gambling disorders will come from the way online gambling behavior can now be studied. Until recently, information about people’s gambling behavior has come almost exclusively from self-report (asking a person questions about their past gambling behaviors). Self-report is considered to be acceptably accurate by the scientific community, but it relies on recollections of individuals that may be influenced by a variety of factors such as desire to please interviewers or to downplay losses. For years these problems with self-reported data have presented a challenge to researchers studying gambling disorders. However, Dr. Shaffer suggested that new innovations in research methods will decrease the role of self-report and allow researchers to look directly at the gambling behavior of online gamblers.

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New Research Evaluates the Effectiveness of a Casino’s Responsible Gaming Training for New Employees

by: NCRG staff | Jul 8, 2011

The people who work in casinos and other gaming venues are an important and under-researched group in the pathological gambling literature. Gaming employees constitute a unique group not only because they interact daily with customers in casinos, but because they are slightly more vulnerable to gambling disorders than the general population (Shaffer, Vander Bilt, & Hall, 1999). Because of these and other factors, most states and casino operators in the U.S. require gaming employees to go through training on the specifics of disordered gambling and responsible gaming.  However, there has been very little published research done on the effectiveness of employee training programs used by casinos. In fact, the first study of an employee training program by a U.S. research team was recently published in the Journal of Gambling Studies (Laplante, Gray, Labrie, Kleschinsky, & Shaffer, 2011). 

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NCRG-funded Screen for Gambling Disorders Now Available to the Public

by: NCRG staff | Apr 19, 2011

Have you ever been screened for a health problem? The answer is probably yes if you’ve ever been questioned by your doctor about symptoms or responded to a telephone survey about health. There are numerous screening instruments used by clinicians to determine if a client has a gambling problem, and some often appear in general population surveys to research the prevalence of the disorder. The Division of Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, recently released the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS) to help people decide on their own whether to seek a formal evaluation of their gambling behavior.  Development of the screen was funded by the NCRG.

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New Edition of The WAGER Looks at Dopamine, Excitement Levels and Disordered Gambling

by: NCRG staff | Apr 12, 2011

The relationship between the brain chemical dopamine and disordered gambling has been well-established over the past several years (we discussed this relationship in the context of Parkinson's Disease in the July 2010 Issues and Insights). Dopamine is associated with the reward system of the brain, which affects feelings of enjoyment and behavior reinforcement. It and other brain chemicals are, by their very nature, difficult to observe and thus difficult to translate into preventive applications. To bridge the gap between brain chemistry and disordered behavior, researchers can link the two with quantifiable emotions like excitement. The most recent edition of The WAGER (Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report) reviews a study that looks at those factors as they relate to pathological gambling.  

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New Edition of The WAGER Examines Study of Personality Subgroups of Pathological Gamblers

by: NCRG staff | Dec 22, 2010

Scientists have proposed an understanding of pathological gambling (PG) as an expression of an underlying addiction syndrome (Shaffer et al., 2004). A syndrome, by definition, is expected to have generally predictable signs and symptoms, though they will vary and may not always be present. Are there definable “types” of people with PG? The most recent edition of The WAGER (Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report) reviews a study focused on this issue.

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New Edition of The WAGER Looks at Study Comparing Brains of Disordered Gamblers and Individuals with Alcohol Dependence

by: NCRG staff | Oct 26, 2010

Scientists have identified many commonalities between people with gambling problems and those with substance use disorders. Are there similarities in brain function? A recent edition of The WAGER (Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report) reviews a study focused on this issue.

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IAGA/IAGR Session on “The Science of Gaming Regulations”

by: NCRG staff | Oct 14, 2010

On Tuesday, Oct. 12, the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) hosted a session for regulators and advisors at the 2010 International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA)/International Association of Gaming Regulations (IAGR) International Conference in Washington, D.C. The session, titled, “The Science of Gaming Regulations: Testing the Effectiveness of Regulations Designed to Reduce Gambling-related Harms,” featured a panel of experts who discussed the importance of scientific research in the development and evaluation of international gaming regulations designed to reduce gambling-related harms.

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New Edition of The WAGER Reviews a Study of Brief Treatment for Disordered Gambling

by: NCRG staff | Jul 27, 2010

The WAGER (Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report) is a great resource for keeping up with new research on gambling and gambling disorders. This online science review is published by the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

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New Edition of The WAGER Reviews a Study of Brief Treatment for Disordered Gambling

by: NCRG staff | Jul 27, 2010

The WAGER (Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report) is a great resource for keeping up with new research on gambling and gambling disorders. This online science review is published by the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.

Read More »

New Edition of The WAGER Explores How the Number of Games Played Can Affect Disordered Gambling

by: NCRG staff | Jun 22, 2010

The WAGER (Worldwide Addiction Gambling Education Report) is a great resource for keeping up with new research on gambling and gambling disorders. This online science review is published by the Division on Addictions at Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. The WAGER is one of a number of publications available through the Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS).

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