NCRG’S 10th Annual Conference To Explore How Fiscal Issues Are Affecting Research, Recovery And Treatment
Presentations to Feature New Research and Best Practices by Leading Experts; Conference to Coincide with Global Gaming Expo
May 27, 2009
WASHINGTON—For its 10thannual Conference on Gambling and Addiction, the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) today announced it will focus on an issue that is at the heart of any discussion about gambling disorders – money. From how gamblers make decisions related to financial risk and debt to how the current fiscal crisis is impacting gambling behavior, treatment funding and industry responsible gaming initiatives, money is a key component in the study, prevention and treatment of gambling disorders. The event is scheduled for Nov. 15-17, 2009 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The 2009 conference – themed “Money, Money, Money: Current Issues Affecting Research, Recovery and Responsible Gaming” – will bring together the world’s leading addiction scientists, clinicians and academics with health care professionals, gaming industry representatives, government officials and regulators to discuss the most pressing issues in the field of gambling disorders and responsible gaming.
“For 10 years, the NCRG Conference has provided a unique forum where the various stakeholders in the field of gambling disorders come together to discuss the latest research, share best practices and explore real-world applications for new scientific findings,” said Glenn Christenson, chairman of the NCRG. “Now, during one of the most financially challenging times this field has seen, the NCRG’s support is critical to the advancement of research in the field, as well as the real-world practices of prevention, treatment and responsible gaming initiatives.”
The conference will be presented by the NCRG and the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders in partnership with the NCRG Centers of Excellence at the University of Minnesota and Yale University.
Keynoting this year’s event will be Benoit Lewis-Denizet, author of the critically acclaimedAmerica Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life, which includes the story of an individual suffering with a gambling disorder among its profiles of eight people struggling with different addictions.
Sessions at the 2009 conference will explore new research on decision-making and informed choice; integrating financial management into treatment for disordered gamblers; the impact of the recession on government and industry-sponsored efforts to reduce gambling-related harms; new research about compulsive shopping and more.
Beyond the financial realm, attendees will learn about a variety of current issues in the field. Sessions will feature new research on why people with gambling disorders don’t seek treatment; new challenges for the research community; and how innovative monitoring of therapists is improving the performance of health care providers in the addictions field, among other topics.
The 10thannual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction will continue its partnership with Global Gaming Expo (G2E), the premier gaming industry trade show and conference event, to make essential information about gambling disorders available to a wider audience. The final day of sessions for the NCRG conference will be held at G2E 2009, scheduled for Nov. 17-19 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This year’s NCRG at G2E sessions, part of G2E’s corporate social responsibility conference track, will highlight how to operate an effective responsible gaming program on a budget, discuss perceptions of gaming and tribal communities, and explore the controversy over whether gaming machines influence gambling disorders.
“Understanding the gambler’s relationship with money is essential to understanding how gambling can become an addiction, and money-related issues also have a real, tangible impact on the ability of states, treatment providers, the gaming industry and others to address gambling-related harms,” said Christine Reilly, executive director of the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders. “By offering a comprehensive presentation of how these and other current issues are affecting the field through the insights of a wide range of experts, the NCRG Conference will provide attendees with essential information and resources to help them in their pursuits to address gambling disorders.”
As part of the 2009 conference, the NCRG will present its annual Scientific Achievement Awards, which recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the study of gambling-related disorders. An international request for nominations for these awards will be issued this summer.
More information about the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, as well as other educational resources, is available on the NCRG’s Web site (www.ncrg.org).
