The NCRG will be pulling into Boston, Mass. later today to begin the fifth annual Road Tour. Each year, the NCRG Road Tour travels to a new city to share information about the latest research on gambling disorders and make key stakeholders aware of the science-based programs and resources the NCRG has to offer. These meetings are great opportunities to form new partnerships and educate others on the most up-to-date information about gambling disorders and responsible gaming. Make sure you follow the NCRG onTwitterandFacebookfor the latest update on Road Tour activities! We are also posting articles here on Gambling Disorders 360˚ later in the week to recap the meetings and workshops.

We are honored to have four distinguished guests joining us for the NCRG Road Tour this year:

– AlanFeldman,NCRG board member and senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Resorts International

– Dr. Lisa Najavits, Ph.D.,professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine

– Christine Reilly,senior research director for the NCRG

– Ken Winters, Ph.D.,director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse and Research, University of Minnesota and member of the NCRG Scientific Advisory Board

They will be speaking at these various events:

– Treatment Provider Workshop:The NCRG and the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling will co-host a workshop for treatment providers entitled, “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Problem Gambling,” led by Lisa Najavits, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Najavits will present information on her program “Seeking Safety,” an evidence-based treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders, and her research on problem gambling in PTSD populations.

– College Gambling Roundtable:The NCRG and the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling will co-host a discussion with representatives from area colleges and universities to share resources and best practices to address gambling and gambling-related harms on college campuses. Alan Feldman, Christine Reilly, senior research director for the NCRG, and Jim Wuelfing, CPP-R, NRPP, prevention director for the Massachusetts Council, will lead the discussion, which will include an overview of the NCRG’s new CollegeGambling.org website.

– Stakeholder Breakfast on Building Partnerships to Promote Responsible Gaming:The NCRG will host a breakfast for legislative, industry, health care and non-profit stakeholders to learn about the work of the NCRG and receive an in-depth briefing on how communities can effectively work together to address gambling disorders and encourage responsible gaming. Alan Feldman, Christine Reilly and Dr. Ken Winters will discuss the important role of research in developing effective programs.

– Grants Workshop:The NCRG will host a luncheon workshop for research investigators to learn more about the NCRG’s research funding opportunities. Christine Reilly and Dr. Lisa Najavits will discuss the NCRG’s grant-review process, the key ingredients of a proposal competitive for funding by the NCRG and opportunities to receive NCRG funding for research on gambling disorders.

Make sure you follow the NCRG on Twitter, Facebook and Gambling Disorders 360 to hear all of the updates from Boston, Mass. For members of the media, please contact Amy Martin at 202-552-2689 oramartin@ncrg.orgto schedule interviews with participants. Questions or comments? Please leave them in the comments section below.

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As a part of this year’sNCRG Road Tourto Boston, Mass., we want to bring together university administrators, campus mental health professionals, student leaders and those who work with college students on a daily basis for a consortium to discuss what national and local organizations are doing to address gambling and gambling-related harms on college campuses. Join us on July 26 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling offices at 190 High Street, Suite 5, in Boston, Mass. You can RSVP by July 19 to Amy Martin atamartin@ncrg.orgor 202-552-2689.

For the past three years, theNCRGand theMassachusetts Council on Compulsive Gamblinghave placed a larger emphasis on college gambling through collaborative trainings and new online resources. In 2008, the NCRG partnered with colleges and universities to form the Task Force on College Gambling Policies, which developedA Call to Action – Addressing College Gambling: Recommendations for Science-based Policies and Programs.In March 2011, the NCRG built on those recommendations when it launched CollegeGambling.org – a comprehensive online resource for students, campus administrators, campus health professionals and parents that brings together the latest research and best practices in responsible gaming and the field of addiction awareness and prevention.

The Massachusetts Council has worked with more than 20 colleges and universities throughout Massachusetts by offering training and technical assistance in campus gambling policies and developing prevention programs. The Council has created resources and training curriculum for university resident assistants and campus mental health professionals.

Representatives from the NCRG and Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling for this meeting will include:

– Alan Feldman, NCRG board member and senior vice president of public affairs for MGM Resorts International

– Christine Reilly, senior research director for the NCRG

– Ken C. Winters, Ph.D.,member of the NCRG Scientific Advisory Board and director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse and Research, University of Minnesota

– Marlene Warner, MA,executive director for the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling

– Jim Wuelfing, CPP-R, NRPP,prevention director for the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling

We hope you can join us! Please feel free to share this invitation and RSVP by July 19 to Amy Martin atamartin@ncrg.organd (202) 552-2689.

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Are you excited to learn from leading experts on gambling disorders and responsible gaming and discuss how technology plays a role in gambling behavior? Online registration is now open for the 12thannual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction. Participants can register by September 12 for the early bird registration rate of $295, now available to all attendees. To register,click hereor visit the NCRG Conference website atwww.ncrg.org/conference.

The NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction is packed with informational plenary session topics, ranging from discussions about how the latest technology alters the way our minds develop to best practices in implementing effective responsible gaming programs in the online gaming environment. To download the full conference brochure with the agenda, registration form and continuing education information,click here. Top speakers include:

– Dr. Robert Ladouceur, Connie Jones and Dr. Lia Nower will take the mystery out of slot machines by explaining the research that addresses whether electronic gaming machines are inherently “addictive.”

– Dr. Gary Small will discuss his newest book,iBrain, and how technology continues to change the way young minds develop, function and interpret information – and what strategies and tools are needed to enhance our technological, social and empathic abilities.

– Dr. Sara Kiesler will discuss her research on how health information available on the Internet is affecting people’s well-being.

– Dr. Kathleen M. Carroll will report on studies analyzing the effectiveness of computer-assisted versions of cognitive-behavioral therapy with drug dependent individuals.

Register today to take advantage of these exciting sessions and more. Also make sure to check back to the growing list of continuing education providers who will be distributing up to 13 credit hours for the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction. You can view the full list here.

What NCRG Conference session are you most looking forward to attending? Let us know in the comments below!

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There are still a few spots available for the upcoming workshop for treatment providers titled “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Problem Gambling.” Lisa Najavits, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine, will lead this training on July 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Back Bay Hotel, Joyce Room, in Boston, Mass. All clinicians and researchers in the area are encouraged to attend this free event that has been approved for 1.5 hours of continuing education units. The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) and the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling are co-sponsoring this event.

Dr. Najavits is nationally known for her program ‘Seeking Safety,’ an evidence-based treatment for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders, and for her research on problem gambling in PTSD populations. During the event she will discuss her research findings, as well as the “Seeking Safety” treatment approach. This model, which has been used with problem gamblers as well as substance use disorder clients, is a present-focused CBT approach offering psychoeducation and coping skills to help patients attain greater safety in their lives.

This session has been approved for 1.5 hours of continuing education by:

– NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals

– The California Foundation for Advancement of Addiction Professionals

– The California Board of Behavioral Sciences (for MFT and LCSW licensure requirements in California)

– The National Board for Certified Counselors

– The NCRG also is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The NCRG maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

To register, please contact Amy Martin, communications and outreach manager for the NCRG, atamartin@ncrg.orgor 202.552.2689.

Questions? Please leave them in the comments section below!

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The NCRG is excited to add two new certifications to theNCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction’s growing list of certifying agencies for continuing education credits! The American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders (Academy) has approved continuing education credit for Certified Addiction Specialists (CAS) (Approval No. 11-1466). Also the State of Nevada Board of Examiners for Social Workers (approval # A-511-11) approved the NCRG Conference’s 13 credit hours. We are happy to have them on board. These associations join the seven other accrediting organizations to provide NCRG Conference attendees with continuing education credits.

To view the entire list of continuing education opportunities, visit ourNCRG Conference CEU webpage. You can also download the entireNCRG Conference brochureto see the exciting list of speakers and pre-conference workshops.

Questions or comments? Please let us know in the comments below!

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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 theJournal of Gambling Studies(Laplante, Gray, Labrie, Kleschinsky, & Shaffer, 2011).

The researchers first used a survey to evaluate 217 new employees of an unnamed casino in three major areas: employee characteristics (e.g. “How long have you worked in the casino industry?”), gambling-related opinions (e.g. “In your opinion can a gambling machine be lucky?”), and gambling- related knowledge (e.g. What percentage of the population has pathological gambling?). Then, the employees participated in the casino’s employee responsible gaming training program. Finally, one month later, the researchers contacted the employees to complete the survey a second time. Almost 55 percent of the employees completed the second survey, and the researchers compared the two sets of data to determine how well the training program had educated the employees about gambling and gambling disorders.

The researchers concluded that the casino’s employee training program significantly increased new employees’ responsible gaming knowledge. For example, the accuracy of scores for gambling- related opinions went from 74.2 percent to 87.4 percent.

However, this improvement was driven primarily by the new knowledge that the training provided, not by correcting inaccurate beliefs the employees held prior to participating in the training. This finding that it is easier to teach someone something new than to change a belief they already hold has been found in many psychological studies and is referred to as the “perseverance effect” (because incorrect beliefs persevere in the face of contrary evidence) (Ross, Lepper, & Hubbard, 1975).

The perseverance effect poses a challenge to employee responsible gaming training programs, especially when the belief in question is generally accepted as “conventional wisdom.” For example, a statement such as “addiction has to involve some type of chemical, such as nicotine” may once have been conventional wisdom, but modern research has abandoned this notion and now recognizes behavioral addictions. If an individual grew up believing that an addiction must involve a chemical, it can be very difficult for a training program to change that idea. The researchers recommend that future employee training programs devote more time to correcting these false pre-existing beliefs. Further research that identifies common false beliefs about gambling held by the public would also be useful in designing more effective casino employee training programs.

For more information about this article, please visit the website of theJournal of Gambling Studies.Have thoughts or questions about this study? Let us know in the comments section below.

References

Laplante, D. A., Gray, H. M., Labrie, R. A., Kleschinsky, J. H., & Shaffer, H. J. (2011). Gaming Industry Employees’ Responses to Responsible Gambling Training: A Public Health Imperative.Journal of Gambling Studies / Co-Sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling and Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming. doi:10.1007/s10899-011-9255-z

Ross, L., Lepper, M. R., & Hubbard, M. (1975). Perseverance in self-perception and social perception: Biased attributional processes in the debriefing paradigm.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,32(5), 880-892. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.32.5.880

Shaffer, H. J., Vander Bilt, J., & Hall, M. N. (1999). Gambling, drinking, smoking, and other health risk activities among casino employees.American Journal of Industrial Medicine,36(3), 365-378.

NCRG staffResearch Updatecasino employeesdisordered gamblingDivision on AddictionsHarvard Medical Schoolnew researchresponsible gambling trainingresponsible gaming

What affects the prevalence of gambling disorders in a given area? Is it access to gambling activities in general, access to a specific type of gambling activity, demographic characteristics, local norms, the presence of an underlying addictive syndrome, or some combination of these factors and others? These questions have been asked for many years and have inspired much debate in both political and academic circles. Studying a question like this requires competent and willing researchers, but also a favorable situation for research.

Unlike clinical trials, people cannot be randomly assigned to live within a certain distance of a casino, to prefer a particular gambling activity, or to have some particular demographic trait. This limitation can be overcome by taking advantage of “natural experiments,” times when some variable in a community changes and researchers can isolate the effect that variable has on the prevalence of gambling disorders in the community.

One such natural experiment will take place in Maryland over the next several years with the legalization of slot machines. The results of the first study measuring baseline disordered gambling in the state has just been released to the public, and further studies will be completed over the next several years to assess the effect (if any) of the addition of slot machines to existing gambling opportunities (Shinogle, Norris, et al., 2011).

The researchers conducted a telephone study of approximately 5,500 residents of Maryland and administered a variety of survey instruments, including 17 questions about lifetime gambling problems from the National Opinion Research Center DSM-IV Screen for Gambling Problems (NODS) (Gerstein, Murphy, et al., 1999). The NODS can be used to diagnose lifetime or past year gambling disorders, or both. A lifetime symptom is one that a person has experienced at any point in their life, as in “Have you ever gambled as a way to escape from personal problems?” The researchers found that 1.5 percent of respondents qualified for lifetime pathological gambling (having experienced 5 or more symptoms in their lifetime), and another 1.9 percent qualified for lifetime problem gambling (having experienced 3 or 4 symptoms in their lifetime). Lifetime prevalence for any individual or age group is always equal to or higher than past year prevalence.

The baseline prevalence rates found in this study are comparable to those found in similar studies, including a study of Maryland by one of the same researchers from 1989 (R A Volberg & Steadman, 1989). The 1989 and 2010 studies both found a prevalence rate for pathological gambling at 1.5 percent. The 1989 study had problem gambling at 2.4 percent while the 2010 study found it at 1.9 percent. These rates are in line with the rates found in large national surveys such as the 1999 meta-analysis of the United States and Canada (1.6 percent lifetime pathological gambling) (H. J. Shaffer, Hall, & Vander Bilt, 1999), and the 2008 National Comorbidity Survey Replication (0.6 percent lifetime pathological gambling) (Kessler et al., 2008).

The ultimate question this study is aimed at answering is what will be the impact, if any, of the expansion of gaming by adding slot machines to Maryland’s racetracks. There are two competing schools of thought that the Maryland experiment will inform. The first is the “exposure” theory that assumes the more exposure people have to gambling activities, the higher the rates of problem and pathological gambling. This theory has begun to give way to a newer “adaptation theory”. Adaptation theory suggests that “after the novelty of initial exposure, people gradually adapt to the risks and hazards associated with potential objects of addiction” (H. J. Shaffer, 2005, p. 1227). Adaptation theory sees the rise in gambling problems that had been previously viewed as evidence of the exposure theory as a temporary “bump” that will decrease as the community adapts to the stimulus. We discussed one example of this pattern of bump and decline in gambling among Minnesota youth in aFebruary Gambling Disorders 360˚ blog post.

The researchers conducting the current study suggest that the rates of problem gambling may rise “three- or four-fold,” though it is not clear from the study where this prediction comes from (Judith Shinogle, Norris, et al., 2011, p. 9). The paper makes reference to three studies that found an increase from .8 to 1.3 percent (H. J. Shaffer et al., 1999), a doubling (D. Gerstein, Murphy, et al., 1999), and a 90% increase in gambling problems (Welte, Wieczorek, Barnes, Tidwell, & Hoffman, 2004), for an average increase of about 80%, well below the 200-300% increase predicted by the authors.

Only time will tell if new gambling opportunities will impact gambling problems in a state that already has access to local racetracks, a lottery and casinos in bordering states. We look forward to the results from Maryland’s natural experiment and what they tell us about exposure and adaptation.

The full study isavailable for downloadon the University of Maryland Baltimore County’s website (the link goes directly to the study PDF). Do you have thoughts or questions about this research? Let us know in the comments section below!

References

Gerstein, D., Murphy, S., Toce, M., Hoffmann, J., Palmer, A., Johnson, R., Larison, C., et al. (1999).Gambling Impact and Behavior Study: Report to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission. Chicago: National Opinion Research Center.

Kessler, R. C., Hwang, I., LaBrie, R., Petukhova, M., Sampson, N. A., Winters, K. C., & Shaffer, H. J. (2008). DSM-IV pathological gambling in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.Psychol Med,38(9), 1351-60. doi:S0033291708002900 [pii] 10.1017/S0033291708002900

Shaffer, H. J. (2005). From disabling to enabling the public interest: natural transitions from gambling exposure to adaptation and self-regulation.Addiction,100(9), 1227-30; discussion 1235. doi:ADD1200 [pii] 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01200.x

Shaffer, H. J., Hall, M. N., & Vander Bilt, J. (1999). Estimating the prevalence of disordered gambling behavior in the United States and Canada: a research synthesis.American Journal of Public Health,89(9), 1369-76.

Shinogle, J., Norris, D. F., Park, D., Volberg, Rachel A., Haynes, D., & Stokan, E. (2011).Gambling Prevalence in Maryland: A Baseline Analysis(p. 55). Baltimore, MD: Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis & Research.

Volberg, R A, & Steadman, H. J. (1989). Prevalence estimates of pathological gambling in New Jersey and Maryland.The American Journal of Psychiatry,146(12), 1618-1619.

Welte, J. W., Wieczorek, W. F., Barnes, G. M., Tidwell, M.-C., & Hoffman, J. H. (2004). The relationship of ecological and geographic factors to gambling behavior and pathology.Journal of Gambling Studies / Co-Sponsored by the National Council on Problem Gambling and Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming,20(4), 405-423. doi:10.1007/s10899-004-4582-y

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For the NCRG, summertime brings a busy season of travel, exciting conferences and speaking engagements. This summer is no exception, and we want to make sure you know where we will be discussing research on gambling disorders and the latest in responsible gaming.

First up, Christine Reilly, Nathan Smith and Amy Martin will be traveling to the National Conference on Problem Gambling in Boston, Mass. Today, Christine will be presenting aboutCollegeGambling.org, our newest online resource, at the Prevention Showcase on July 1 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. She will also be a member of the plenary panel, titled ‘Who is Responsible for Responsible Gaming?,’ on July 2 from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Please attend both of the sessions and say hello to the NCRG team!

From July 20 to 22, Christine will be a keynote speaker at the eighth annual Midwest Conference on Problem Gambling in Kansas City, Miss. Her keynote address, titled “CollegeGambling.org: A New Science-based Resource for Higher Education” will discuss the NCRG’s newest online resource. Joining her will be Jon Grant, M.D., M.P.H., J.D., professor of psychiatry and principal investigator for the NCRG’s Center of Excellence in Gambling Research at University of Minnesota. The conference is presented by ACT Missouri and the Midwest Consortium on Problem Gambling and Substance Abuse.

Christine will then fly straight to Boston, Mass. to meet the rest of the team for the NCRG Road Tour on July 26-27. You can read more about the Road Tour activitieshere. If you are a treatment provider in the Boston, Mass. area and would like to attend the “PTSD and Problem Gambling” workshop, led by Dr. Lisa Najavits, for 1.5 CEUs, please email Amy Martin atamartin@ncrg.org.

From August 4-7, the American Psychological Association’s national conference will be held in Washington, D.C. While the NCRG isn’t speaking at any particular session, Amy will be going to several of the events throughout the conference, hoping to spread the word about the NCRG’s continuing education opportunities that can benefit APA members now that the NCRG is an APA-approved continuing education sponsor. If you’re at the conference and want to meet her, please leave a comment below!

To squeeze in one last but very important conference before the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction in October, Christine and Dr. Randy Stinchfield from the University of Minnesota, will present at NAADAC’s annual meeting from September 18-21. In sunny San Diego, Calif., Christine and Dr. Stinchfield will discuss screening and assessment of pathological gambling.

All in all, it is a very busy summer for the NCRG. In July, we will also have a big announcement for treatment providers in the form of another regional opportunity to earn continuing education credits. Stay connected to the NCRG throughGambling Disorders 360˚,@theNCRGon Twitter and theNCRG’s Facebook pagefor more information. Questions or comments? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!

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The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) and the American Gaming Association (AGA) are committed to public education opportunities regarding responsible gaming. Both the NCRG and the AGA are busy ramping up for the 14thannual Responsible Gaming Education Week (RGEW), which is being held August 1-5. This year’s theme, “Know the Odds,” will build off last year’s successful effort to “take the mystery out of the slot machine” by focusing on educating casino employees and patrons about the odds of all the games available in a casino.

The NCRG is growing its resources to partner with organizations and foster innovative collaborations to help educate and inform the public about pathological and youth gambling. As in past years, the NCRG is working with the AGA to produce high-quality informational materials and activities for RGEW. The AGA brochure, “The House Advantage: A Guide to Understanding the Odds,” clearly explains the advantage the casino has in various games, debunks some commonly held myths and outlines each game’s mathematical probabilities and other factors behind winning and losing. Along with this brochure, we will be developing new materials, from posters to supplemental quizzes, to help stakeholders distribute and incorporate this information into existing education materials.

As you know, the NCRG strives to increase public education opportunities about responsible gaming, as well as partner with new organizations to collaborate on outreach efforts. This year, the NCRG is offering these materials at cost to select non-profit organizations and National Council on Problem Gambling state affiliates to help everyone know the odds of gambling activities.

These materials can be ordered through the AGA website,www.americangaming.org, by July 7 so feel free to take a look! Select non-profits can and NCPG state affiliates candownload the AGA member order formwith discounted pricing options. If you have any questions regarding RGEW, please contact Amy Martin, communications and outreach manager for the NCRG, atamartin@ncrg.orgor 202.552.2689. You can also follow us onFacebookandTwitterfor updates.

We welcome any comments or suggestions you have, so feel free to leave a comment below!

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Sept. 27-29, 2015
Featuring one of the most diverse audiences of all gambling conferences, the 16th NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction met the varied needs and interests of attendees by offering the following:

A special track for gaming regulators and industry exploring the use of science to develop and evaluate responsible gaming programs and regulations designed to reduce gambling-related harms
Up to 15 continuing education hours accepted by the American Psychological Association, NAADAC, NASW, and other certifying agencies for healthcare providers
A pre-con workshop for clinicians led by one of the leading CBT trainers in the nation
A poster session providing researchers and students the opportunity to showcase their new research on gambling disorder
A pre-con workshop for researchers on working with the media