Archive for category: Press Release

Nine Grants Awarded in Four Categories Ranging from $1,500 to $172,000

Oct 9, 2013

WASHINGTON – What causes relapse in gambling disorders? Is text messaging an effective way to deliver an intervention to reduce gambling among college students? Does a poker player’s level of skill impact emotional control and strategy after large wins and losses? How can the use of animal models help identify targets for pharmaceutical treatment of gambling disorders? The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) awarded $751,951 this year to support seven new research projects that will answer these questions and help improve methods of diagnosis, intervention, treatment and prevention of gambling disorders. The NCRG also awarded two travel grants to support researchers’ participation at scientific meetings.

“The NCRG is pleased to award more than $750,000 to support new research that will advance our knowledge of gambling disorders and help find effective methods of treatment and prevention,” said Ken Winters, Ph.D., chairman of the NCRG Scientific Advisory Board, professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research at the University of Minnesota. “This past year, we were delighted with the high level of applications for innovative studies to advance this field. We look forward to learning from these studies how we can improve the way we address gambling disorders in the future.”

TheNCRG’s2013 grants were awarded for the following research projects:

Travel Grants

• “Do Pathological Gamblers Suffer from a Distorted Sensitivity to Reward?”– Guillaume Sescousse, Ph.D., of the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior in the Netherlands, was awarded $1,500 to support his participation as a speaker at the 2013 annual conference of the Society for Neuroscience. Dr. Sescousse will present his research on the sensitivity to rewards among disordered gamblers.

• “The Atypical Antidepressant Mirtazapine Attenuates Gambling-like Behavior in Rodents”– Amanda Persons, Ph.D., of Rush University Medical Center, was awarded $1,500 in 2013 to support her participation in the poster session at the 2013 meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. Dr. Persons reported on research, funded by the NCRG, revealing that mirtazapine, an atypical antidepressant, reduced risk-taking behavior in rats and, therefore, holds promise as a treatment for gambling disorders.

Seed Grants

• “How Skill Affects Gambler Responses to Wins and Losses”– Kyle Siler, Ph.D., of McMaster University, was awarded $27,536.75 to gauge the effects of wins and losses on subsequent play using a large dataset of online poker hands.
• “An Animal Model of Relapse to Pathological Gambling”– David Kearns, Ph.D., of American University, was awarded $28,750 to address the lack of knowledge about the causes of relapse of a gambling disorder by developing an animal model in which potential precipitators of relapse can be investigated.
• “The Effects of PTSD on Risky Decision-Making”– Caitlin A. Orsini, Ph.D., of the University of Florida, was awarded $28,750. Because Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may alter decision-making capabilities, there is increasing interest in the relationship between PTSD and disordered gambling behavior. Dr. Orsini’s study will use a rodent model to determine whether elevated risk-taking is a pre-disposing factor to developing PTSD-like symptoms following trauma.

Early Stage Investigator Grant

• “Developing a Mouse Model of Pathological Gambling Using an Inducible and Tissue-specific Serotonin 1B Receptor Knock-out”– Katherine Nautiyal, Ph.D., of the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc., was awarded $147,706 to develop mouse gambling behavioral models toward the goal of developing pharmacological treatments for gambling disorders.

Large Grants

• “Social Influences on the Development of Risky Choice”– Scott A. Huettel, Ph.D., of Duke University, was awarded $172,358 to study the emerging perspective that adolescence is associated with increased sensitivity to rewards, which places them particularly at risk for disorders including pathological responses to rewarding outcomes (e.g., gambling disorders).
• “Neural Correlates of Impulsivity and their Modulation by Dopamine in Problem/Pathological Gambling”– Andrew Kayser, M.D., Ph.D., of Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco, was awarded $172,500 to evaluate a novel translational (and potentially therapeutic) approach for gambling disorders: inhibitors of the dopamine-degrading enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT).
• “Efficacy of a Brief Motivational Intervention Delivered via Smartphone and Short Messaging Service”– Matthew Martens, Ph.D., of the University of Missouri-Columbia, was awarded $171,350 to expand on his work from a previous NCRG grant. Dr. Martens will test the efficacy of a novel Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) designed to reduce gambling among college students. This intervention will be delivered via smartphone devices (i.e., cell phones with comprehensive web applications) and short messaging service (SMS) technology.

The NCRG is the only national organization exclusively devoted to funding research on gambling disorders. Recipients of these grants were selected in a rigorous review process led by the NCRG’s Scientific Advisory Board, which is composed of leading independent scientists with expertise in addictions and related fields. The Scientific Advisory Board and the peer-review panels follow the National Institutes of Health criteria for scientific merit and peer-review procedures.

To learn more about the impact of the research funded by the NCRG, visitwww.ncrg.org. To stay up-to-date on year-round educational opportunities and the latest news and issues in the field, visit the NCRG’s blog –Gambling Disorders 360° – and connect with the NCRG onFacebookandTwitter.

NCRG Monograph Showcases Key Research Studies from the University of Minnesota and Yale University; “Gambling and Health in the Justice System” Educates Judges and Others

Aug 6, 2013

WASHINGTON – The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) today released two new publications that will provide a clearer picture of how a gambling disorder develops and potential roads to recovery. The NCRG’s eighth volume ofIncreasing the Odds:A Series Dedicated to Understanding Gambling Disordershighlights research findings from the NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research at the University of Minnesota and Yale University. The second volume of theGambling and Healthseries, “Gambling and Health in the Justice System,” was developed to help judges, parole officers, attorneys and other professionals within the judicial system address gambling disorders with individuals in their courtroom. Both resources are free to download from the NCRG’s website atwww.ncrg.org/resources.

“These two publications amplify the NCRG’s commitment to both funding the highest-quality research and translating those research findings into resources that people can use in their daily lives,” said Alan Feldman, chairman of the NCRG and executive vice president of global government and industry affairs for MGM Resorts International. “With these resources, I’m extremely proud to feature the many accomplishments of the NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research and highlight the latest research we have that can help professionals within the justice system.”

Increasing the Odds:Innovative Studies from the NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research

This latest edition of the monograph series summarizes six selected research studies published by the NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research at the University of Minnesota and Yale University, which were each awarded a three-year grant in 2009 to address a complex set of gambling-related issues through exacting scientific research. The NCRG’s monograph series provides easy-to-understand summaries of seminal, peer-reviewed research on gambling disorders, as well as implications for future research and prevention efforts.

The NCRG Center of Excellence at the University of Minnesota, led by Jon E. Grant, J.D., M.D., M.P.H., has primarily focused on risk factors for the development of a gambling disorder – ultimately attempting to identify problematic gambling behavior earlier among young adults. The following studies are summarized by Dr. Grant in this volume:

• Can We Predict Future Disordered Gamblers?
• Does it Run in the Family? A Look at Gambling and Family History
• Impulsivity and Cognitive Flexibility in No-risk, At-risk and Pathological Gamblers

The NCRG Center of Excellence at Yale University, led by Marc Potenza, M.D., Ph.D., explored various strands of research that looked at the many genetic and environmental factors – including co-occurring disorders – that influence the development, progression, maintenance of, and recovery from, a gambling disorder. The following studies are summarized by Dr. Potenza in this volume:

• Understanding the Neurobiology of a Gambling Disorder (co-written with Iris M. Balodis, Ph.D.)
• Shared Genetics of Anxiety Disorders and Pathological Gambling
• The Potential Impact of Giving Lottery Tickets to Teens

To download a free copy ofIncreasing the Odds,visit the NCRG’s website atwww.ncrg.org/resources. The first seven volumes of the series are also available as a free download.

“Gambling and Health in the Justice System”

The second edition of the NCRG’sGambling and Healthseries was produced to bridge the gap between research and practice, equipping leaders in the criminal justice field with the information necessary when encountering individuals with this addiction. The guidebook includes the latest research and frequently asked questions regarding gambling disorders, as well as models that others have used to introduce therapeutic options into their court system. Additionally, the NCRG has created a one-page flyer that outlines the facts and resources to learn more about gambling addiction.

To download a free copy of “Gambling and Health in the Justice System,” visit the NCRG website atwww.ncrg.org/gamblingandhealth. To request a hard copy of the any of the NCRG’s publications, contact Amy Kugler at 202-552-2689 or akugler@ncrg.org.

For more information about the NCRG and its programs, visitwww.ncrg.org. To stay up-to-date on year-round educational opportunities and the latest news and issues in the field, visit the NCRG’s blog –Gambling Disorders 360° – and connect with the NCRG onFacebookandTwitter.

Board also Welcomes Drs. David Hodgins, Gloria Miele and Wendy Slutske as New Members

Jul 10, 2013

WASHINGTON – The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) today announced that Ken Winters, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse at the University of Minnesota, has been named the chairman of the organization’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The eight-member panel of leading, independent scientists plays a vital role by ensuring that the organization follows rigorous standards in awarding grants, monitoring the work of the NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research and advising the NCRG on funding initiatives and educational activities. Dr. Winters replaces Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate dean for research and planning in the College of Public Health and Health Professions and Dean’s Professor and Chair for the department of epidemiology in the Colleges of Medicine and Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Florida, who will remain as a member of the SAB.

The SAB also added three new members with diverse research backgrounds: David Hodgins, Ph.D., professor of psychology in the department of psychology and institute node coordinator for the University of Calgary, Alberta Gaming Research Institute; Gloria M. Miele, Ph.D., instructor at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and principal at Optimal Development Coaching; and Wendy Slutske, Ph.D., professor in the department of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

“It is with great pleasure that I pass the torch to my long-standing friend and colleague, Dr. Ken Winters,” said Dr. Cottler. “His background, coupled with his extensive knowledge of the field, is invaluable, and he has a remarkable ability to easily articulate the developments in the field of gambling disorders research and the funding landscape for that research in a way that is accessible for all.”

Dr. Winters is a leading expert in the study of risky behaviors among youth, including gambling. His research interests include assessment and treatment of adolescent drug abuse and gambling; adolescent brain development and vulnerability to drug abuse; and assessment and treatment of adult problem gambling. He has published numerous research articles in these areas, and has received numerous research grants from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and various foundations. Dr. Winters was honored by the NCRG with the Scientific Achievement Award in 2005 for his work on gambling disorders.

Dr. Winters serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors and the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. He was also the lead editor for two Treatment Improvement Protocol Series editions published by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA) that focused on adolescent drug abuse assessment and treatment. Dr. Winters is a consultant to many organizations, including the Hazelden Foundation, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the Partnership at Drugfree.org, the World Health Organization and the Mentor Foundation (an international drug abuse prevention organization).

“I am honored to accept this expanded role on the NCRG’s SAB,” said Dr. Winters. “On behalf of the entire board, we thank Dr. Cottler for her leadership and guidance for the past four years and we look forward to her continued contribution to the board. We are also thrilled to welcome Drs. Hodgins, Miele and Slutske as new board members. With their diverse backgrounds and expertise, I am confident that they will make invaluable contributions to help further the organization and its goal of supporting high-quality research.”

At the University of Calgary, Dr. Hodgins focuses on three interrelated lines of cutting-edge research in the area of gambling disorders—natural history research, the design and evaluation of brief interventions, and the study of the precipitants of relapse to gambling disorders. His research on brief treatment interventions is recognized around the world and is listed as an evidence-based treatment by SAMHSA. Dr. Hodgins has published more than 100 articles in prestigious scientific journals, and has authored and co-authored a number of books on this topic. He was also the recipient of the 2010 NCRG Scientific Achievement Award in recognition of his significant contributions to this field of research.

In addition to her role as a professor at Columbia University, Dr. Miele is a business development and leadership coach, speaker, consultant and trainer who has been helping people reach their goals for over 25 years. She previously served as a training director and research scientist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University where she developed training programs on good research practices, HIV risk behavior assessment, diagnostic interviewing and behavioral interventions. Prior to this, she was the program director for the Women’s Health Project Treatment and Research Center at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, where she developed programs and treatment strategies for women with a history of trauma and substance abuse. She has also contributed to more than 30 publications and serves as a reviewer for several high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Slutske has been with the University of Missouri-Columbia since 1997 and is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on the behavioral genetics of gambling disorders. Her work on the landmark all-male Vietnam Era Twin Study demonstrated that there are shared susceptibility genes that contribute to the risk for gambling disorders, alcohol use disorders and antisocial behavior. Dr. Slutske’s analysis of large epidemiological studies has also led to the groundbreaking finding that gambling disorders are episodic rather than chronic. She has published more than 100 articles in highly-cited, peer-reviewed journals and was the recipient of the 2011 NCRG Scientific Achievement Award.

In addition to Drs. Cottler, Hodgins, Meile, Slutske and Winters, the NCRG SAB includes Tammy Chung, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh; Mark S. Gold, M.D., Donald Dizney Eminent Scholar, Distinguished Professor and Chair of psychology in the College of Medicine at the University of Florida; and Miriam Jorgensen, Ph.D., M.P.P., research director at the Native Nations Institute of the University of Arizona and research director for the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development at Harvard University. For more information on the NCRG SAB, visitwww.ncrg.org.

Contribution from Las Vegas Sands Corp. drives 2013 pledge renewal campaign

May 28, 2013

WASHINGTON – The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) announced today that the commercial casino industry has pledged more than $4 million in 2012 to support the organization’s mission of funding innovative research and public education programs about gambling disorders and responsible gaming. Additionally, a substantial commitment from the Las Vegas Sands Corp. launched the 2013 pledge campaign drive for the organization. These pledges put the NCRG over the $25 million mark in fundraising since its establishment in 1996.

“This remarkable support from the gaming industry will fund the next level of groundbreaking research for this field,” said Alan Feldman, chairman of the NCRG and senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Resorts International. “As the nation’s largest private funder of research on gambling disorders, the NCRG counts on these vital commitments to increase our understanding of gambling disorders and responsible gaming.”

The companies that have a history of supporting the NCRG and have committed renewed funding pledges during this campaign include:

• Caesars Entertainment Corporation ($1,500,000 over five years)
• MGM Resorts International ($1,168,000 over four years)
• Ameristar ($225,000 over three years)
• Penn National Gaming, Inc. ($180,000 over three years)
• Wynn Resorts ($150,000 over three years)
• Pinnacle Entertainment ($75,000 over three years)

Additionally, the Las Vegas Sands Corp. made a new pledge agreement of $900,000 over three years. While the Las Vegas Sands has been a dedicated supporter of the NCRG Annual Conference on Gambling and Addiction in past years, this is a new multi-year commitment from the company.

With the $22 million raised before 2012, the NCRG has made a significant impact in increasing understanding of gambling disorders and responsible gaming through high-quality research and science-based resources. NCRG-funded research has produced more than 215 articles in top-tier peer-reviewed publications, leading to a number of significant advancements in the field’s knowledge of gambling disorder prevalence, promising treatment strategies and a framework for understanding gambling as a public health issue.

The NCRG has also developed peerless educational trainings – including the regional clinician workshops and webinar sessions – and publications that are designed to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice. In 2012 alone, more than 500,000 individuals took part in an NCRG education and outreach opportunity or received a free resource, either in print or online.

“The NCRG continues to expand its public education offerings through new videos, publications and science-based resources,” said Feldman. “By growing our research and education initiatives, we expand opportunities to learn about this public health issue and continue to seek ways to help those in need.”

To learn more about the NCRG, visitwww.ncrg.org. To stay up-to-date on year-round educational opportunities and the latest news and issues in the field, visit the NCRG’s blog –Gambling Disorders 360°– and connect with the NCRG onFacebookandTwitter.

The University of Chicago and Yale University Will Each Receive Three-year Grant to Explore Gambling Disorders

Mar 14, 2013

WASHINGTON – The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) today named the University of Chicago and Yale University as the next NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research. The two institutions were each awarded a three-year NCRG Centers of Excellence grant in the amount of $402,500 to employ a long-term, institutional approach to conducting innovative and multidisciplinary research and education programs about gambling disorders. The announcement was made during a symposium, titled “Investing in Research, Responsible Gaming and the Community,” at the University of Chicago, which was held as part of the NCRG’s 2013 Annual Education Summit.

“During more than a decade of funding research in this field, the NCRG observed that substantial, multi-year research grants are the most effective way to produce foundational research on gambling disorders,” said Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., M.P.H., chairwoman of the NCRG’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) and dean’s professor and chair for the department of epidemiology in the Colleges of Medicine and Public Health and Health Professions at the University of Florida. “Today, we are excited to award the NCRG Centers of Excellence grants to the University of Chicago and Yale University, and we look forward to the impact they will have on furthering our understanding of gambling disorders and the influence they’ll have on the field.”

The NCRG established the Center of Excellence in Gambling Research grant in 2009 to encourage innovative, multidisciplinary investigations of gambling disorders. These three-year grants are intended to provide funding for a stable, long-term institutional focus on a complex set of gambling-related problems. The grantees have provided leadership in the field by conducting cutting-edge investigations of gambling-related disorders, translating research findings for non-academic audiences and cultivating the next generation of gambling researchers by mentoring young investigators.

NCRG Center of Excellence at the University of Chicago

The NCRG Center of Excellence at the University of Chicago will be led by Jon E. Grant, J.D., M.D., M.P.H., professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago. Dr. Grant and his colleagues will expand on previous studies he led at the NCRG Center of Excellence at the University of Minnesota from 2009 to 2012. This research is helping to determine if scientists can identify young adults who may be at risk for developing a gambling disorder through Dr. Grant’s proposed susceptibility model of impulsivity. This understanding will aid in the development and implementation of effective prevention, intervention and treatment programs for this disorder, especially pertaining to ethnically diverse populations. Dr. Grant will conduct this work in conjunction with colleagues from the University of Minnesota.

NCRG Center of Excellence at Yale University

Marc Potenza, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, child study and neurobiology at Yale University School of Medicine, will continue to lead the NCRG Center of Excellence at Yale University through its second three-year round of NCRG funding. Dr. Potenza and his colleagues will use a multidisciplinary approach to study the motivational and emotional factors that influence the development of gambling disorders in men and women, including the role of stress in gambling urges and cravings. With neuroimaging technology, this research team also will test medications to understand its role in the brain and potential effectiveness as a medication for gambling disorders.

The NCRG Centers of Excellence were awarded on a competitive basis under the leadership of the NCRG SAB. Composed of leading independent scientists with expertise in addiction and related topics, the SAB plays a vital role by ensuring rigorous standards in awarding grants for only the highest-quality research proposals and by serving as a firewall between decisions made about research grants and the primary source of the NCRG’s funding – the casino industry and related businesses.

To learn more about the NCRG Centers of Excellence in Gambling Research, the NCRG research program and other initiatives, visitwww.ncrg.org. To stay up-to-date on year-round educational opportunities and the latest news and issues in the field, visit the NCRG’s blog –Gambling Disorders 360°– and connect with the NCRG onFacebookandTwitter.