Iaga/iagr Session On “The Science Of Gaming Regulations”

On Tuesday, Oct. 12, the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) hosted a session for regulators and advisors at the2010 International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA)/International Association of Gaming Regulations (IAGR) International Conferencein 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.

During his introduction, Kevin Mullally, NCRG board member and general counsel and director of government affairs at Gaming Laboratories International, Inc., noted that regulators and advisors often are responsible for developing and enforcing programs in their jurisdictions to help minimize gambling-related harms. Research on gambling disorders, he said, can help inform these programs by analyzing the impact and effectiveness of different approaches. By using science as a guide, future programs and efforts can be more effective.

The first presenter was Christine Reilly, executive director for the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders. She discussed the work of the NCRG and the Institute, and the importance of scientific research in the areas of responsible gaming and gambling disorders. She emphasized the need to rely on “real science” (peer-reviewed studies with a scientific methodology that acknowledges limitations) versus “junk science” (biased studies often driven by advocacy in which the ends justify the means) to inform responsible gaming programs.

Dr. Simon Planzer, a lecturer in law at the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, an attorney in Zurich, a visiting researcher at Harvard Law School and a visiting scholar at the Division on Addictions at Harvard Medical School, discussed a new study he is conducting in conjunction with Harvard Medical School that is examining the impact of gambling regulations in Europe on the prevalence of disordered gambling. Results of the study are forthcoming.

Dr. Robert Ladouceur, a professor emeritus of psychology at Laval University in Quebec City, presented the 10 rules for creating effective responsible gaming programs. The rules included the need to specify the target population, to indicate objectives, to establish length of the program, to set a realistic budget, and to advertise the program. He concluded that the intention to be responsible is not sufficient; instead, it is important to evaluate programs to ensure they are meeting desired goals and to make changes as necessary.

For more information, please contact Christine Reilly atcreilly@gamblingdisorders.org. As always, we welcome your thoughts and questions in the Comments section below.

NCRG staffResearch Updatedisordered gamblinggaming regulationsHarvard Medical SchoolKevin Mullallynew researchresponsible gamingRobert Ladouceur

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2010 NCRG Conference Presenters Try To Narrow The Gap Between Consumers And Healthcare Providers

Removing barriers to treatment and recovery from addiction is one of the featured topics at the 11thAnnual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, scheduled for Nov. 14-16, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nev. Mark Vander Linden, coordinator of the Iowa Gambling Treatment Program, and Janet Zwick, a healthcare consultant withPrairielands A.T.T.C., will present on “Improving Access to and Retention in Treatment: The NIATx Program in Iowa.” Founded in 2003 as the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment,NIATxis designed to help payers (e.g., health insurance and government) and behavioral treatment providers improve the quality of and access to treatment for clients with addiction.

Vander Linden and Zwick will discuss how NIATx is working to improve the Iowa Gambling Treatment Program and how treatment providers can become involved with the NIATx project.

The NIATx Model aims to improve a treatment program in four ways: reduce wait-time between first request for service and first treatment session, reduce no-shows for assessment, increase admissions to treatment and increase continuation from the first treatment to the fourth treatment.

“Like many states, Iowa has seen funding to gambling treatment services reduced the past few years,” said Vander Linden. “Despite this reduction, we have been able to provide more services to more people. NIATx has allowed us to examine our processes to look for efficient and effective ways to reach those who need help.”

For more information on the NIATx Model session at the 2010 NCRG conference, as well as other speakers and presentations, please download theNCRG Conference 2010 Brochure. To register for the conference, visit theConference linkon the NCRG website.

NCRG staffConference on Gambling and Addictionaddiction treatmentIowa Gambling Treatment ProgramNCRG ConferenceNIATxproblem gambling

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Time Is Running Out! Register For The 11th Annual NCRG Conference By Oct. 8 To Save!

The early bird registration discount ends this Friday, Oct. 8! Register now for the 11th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addition, so you don’t miss your chance to learn how current issues in the field are redefining the way we diagnose, treat, study and prevent gambling disorders and how new research is impacting responsible gaming programs. The conference will be held Nov. 14 – 16 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada. For more information or to register, visit theNCRG Conference website

Conference sessions will examine a variety of compelling issues, and topics including the proposed changes to the definition of pathological gambling in theDSM-V, new approaches for studying minority populations, the latest research on online gambling and disordered gambling, new research methods and treatment approaches, and fresh ideas for developing effective responsible gaming programs. Details on all the speakers and session are available in the2010 Conference Brochure.

By attending the NCRG annual conference, you have the opportunity to earn up to 14 continuing education hours approved by health care certifying agencies such as NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals.

Also, book your hotel now to save! Visit theVenue/Hotel Infopage on the NCRG website to learn more about discounted hotel rates at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino and THEhotel at Mandalay Bay. Special offers end early next week on Tuesday, Oct. 12.

NCRG staffConference on Gambling and Addictionconference 2010continuing educationDSM-VNAADACNCRG Conferenceresponsible gamingscientific achievement awards

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Nbcc Approves The Institute As A Continuing Education Provider

The National Board for Certified Counselors(NBCC), the largest counselor credentialing body in the U.S., has designated the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders as an approved provider of continuing education. The primary purpose of the NBCC is to certify masters-level professional counselors. This approval means that counselors participating in educational activities sponsored by the Institute and the NCRG will earn continuing education hours that can be applied to the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential.

The Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders offers several approved educational opportunities for counselors throughout the year, including theNCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction. This year’s conference is scheduled for Nov. 14-16, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nev., and counselors can earn up to 14 continuing education hours. The Institute and the NCRG also offer freewebinarsthroughout the year, which can be accessed from anywhere via the Internet. Watch for announcements about topics for the 2011 webinar series.

NCRG staffConference on Gambling and Addictioncontinuing education for health care providersNBCCproblem gambling

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The Internet Gambling Debate: Is Research The Missing Ingredient?

The “Room for Debate” section ofThe New York Timesrecently posed the question,“Should Internet gambling be legalized?”Several respondents identified an increase in gambling addiction as the probable outcome if Congress lifts the current ban on online gambling in the United States. The belief that the easy access and social isolation of Internet gambling make it an especially risky behavior has become conventional wisdom. However, the question remains: are these concerns based on speculation or scientific research?

This month’s edition ofIssues & Insightsaddresses this question in a summary of an article recently published inAddiction Research and Theory.The article reviewed the state of research on online gambling and discusses the groundbreaking investigations of the betting patterns of customers of the European wagering sitebwin.Led by Dr. Howard Shaffer, director of theDivision on Addictionsat Cambridge Health Alliance, the research on the actual betting transactions ofbwinsubscribers offers a pioneering methodology beyond the limits of self-report and offers some unexpected findings about the behavior patterns of those who bet on sports, poker and casino games on the Internet. Read more about this research inSeptember’sIssues and Insights. As always, we welcome your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.

NCRG staffResearch UpdatebwinDivision on AddictionsHoward J. ShafferInternet gamblingproblem gambling

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NCRG 2010 Scientific Achievement Award Nomination Deadline Is Sept. 17

The deadline to submit nominations for the NCRG’s 2010 Scientific Achievement Award is Friday, Sept. 17, 2010. The NCRG annually recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of gambling disorders and responsible gaming with the Scientific Achievement Award. The 2010 nominees can include research investigators, educators and a recent publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The selection committee, composed of distinguished scientists in the addictions field, will select one recipient for the Scientific Achievement Award. The award will be presented on Nov. 15, 2010 at the 11thAnnual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction in Las Vegas, Nev.

For more information about submitting a nomination, visit theScientific Achievement Awardspage on the NCRG website.

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Employee Assistance Certification Commission Approves NCRG Conference On Gambling And Addiction For Continuing Education

The Employee Assistance Certification Commission (EACC) of theEmployee Assistance Professional Association(EAPA) has approved the 2010NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addictionfor 14 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). EAPA is the world’s largest association representing professionals who work in employee assistance programs (EAPS), worksite-based programs designed to assist: (1) work organizations in addressing productivity issues; and (2) ’employee clients’ in identifying and resolving personal concerns, including, but not limited to, health, marital, family, financial, alcohol, drug, legal, emotional, stress, or other personal issues that may affect job performance.

The 11thAnnual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction is scheduled for November 14-16, 2010, in Las Vegas, Nev. This year’s theme is “Redefining Diagnosis, Treatment, Research and Responsible Gaming for the 21stCentury.” Register by Oct. 8 to take advantage of the early-bird discount. For more information or to register for the conference, visit theConference linkon the NCRG website.

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2010 NCRG Conference Presenter Probes The Borders Between Normal, Eccentric And Disordered Behavior

Defining and categorizing disordered gambling will be one of the featured topics at the 11thannual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction this November. In a presentation titled “Conceptualizing Problem Gambling: Cautionary Lessons from the Over-Pathologization of Depression and Substance Use,” Jerome C. Wakefield, DSW, PhD , a professor at New York University School of Medicine, will critique what he sees as psychiatry’s failure to draw adequate distinctions between disordered behavior, eccentric or unconventional behavior, and normal responses to stress (Wakefield, 2010).

Dr. Wakefield’s presentation will be a counterpoint to a preceding conference session focused on the proposed changes to pathological gambling in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) (American Psychiatric Association, 2010). The DSM is the handbook of mental disorders in the United States, used daily by health care providers, researchers, insurance companies and government agencies.

Dr. Wakefield’s criticism of the DSM centers on its use of symptom-based definitions for mental disorders. That is, the fact that individuals are diagnosed with the disorder if they exhibit a certain number of symptoms. For example, the DSM-IV indicates that individuals who have at least five out of 10 symptoms for pathological gambling, such as a preoccupation with gambling or being unable to cut back on gambling, are regarded as having a pathological gambling disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). According to Dr. Wakefield, symptom-based definitions tend to cause “false positives,” categorizing people as disordered when their behavior is better explained by something else.

One of the factors that may not be considered by symptom-based definitions is context. For example, a person who has experienced the death of a loved one may exhibit all of the symptoms of major depression, but is actually just exhibiting a normal response to loss. (Of note, the DSM includes a caveat for symptoms experienced during bereavement in its definition of major depression; however, Dr. Wakefield’s point about context can be applied to other potential causes for depressive symptoms and other disorders listed in the DSM.)

Dr. Wakefield also argues that symptom-based definitions of mental disorders do not leave room for natural human variation. For example, if a person mourns the loss of a spouse for a full year, it could be a sign of a depressive disorder, or just natural variation in the time spent grieving. Dr. Wakefield states that symptom-based definitions are not equipped to deal with these variations, and individuals on the ends of any spectrum should not necessarily be classified as disordered just because they exhibit behaviors outside of more typical behavioral ranges.

Dr. Wakefield contends that clinical definitions based solely on symptoms cast too wide a net, diagnosing people with mental disorders when a consideration of context or natural human variation would better explain the behavior. This can be potentially harmful to people diagnosed with a mental disorder that carries a severe stigma and can lead to the unwarranted use of psychiatric medication.

Dr. Wakefield will apply this critique specifically to pathological gambling at the 2010 NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, taking place on Nov. 14-16, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada. Dr. Wakefield’s Monday talk sets the stage for a lively debate in the town hall meeting later that day. For details, download theNCRG Conference 2010 Brochure. To register for the conference, visit theConference linkon the NCRG website.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2010, March 31). DSM-V: The Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis. Retrieved from www.dsm5.org

American Psychiatric Association. (1994).DSM-IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Wakefield, J. C. (2010). Misdiagnosing normality: Psychiatry’s failure to address the problem of false positive diagnoses of mental disorder in a changing professional environment.Journal of Mental Health,19(4), 337-351. doi:10.3109/09638237.2010.492418

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2010 NCRG Conference Presenter Brings “Wellbriety” To Native Americans With Addictions

The use of Native American traditions to heal addiction is one of the featured topics at the 11thAnnual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction on Nov. 14-16, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino and the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nev. Don Coyhis, a member of the Mohican Nation, will hold a session titled “The Wellbriety Movement: Drawing on Native American Tools to Heal from Addiction.”

Wellbriety, a combination of the words “well” and “sobriety,” is a concept of recovery that focuses on a “quality sobriety.” This concept is rooted in Native American cultural values such as respect for all living things and responsibility to self and the community. Coyhis has been teaching the concepts of Wellbriety for 20 years and has held trainings in more than 100 Native American communities, personally training more than 2,000 leaders.

Coyhis based the concept of Wellbriety on his own experience as a recovering alcoholic in traditional 12-step programs. He found that the sobriety he achieved in the program was unfulfilling, a feeling he heard echoed by other recovering Native Americans. In response, he developed Wellbriety by combining aspects of traditional 12-step programs with Native American cultural values, community engagement, and health promotion and prevention.

One example of this integration is the “Medicine Wheel and 12 Steps to Recovery,” a modification of Alcoholics Anonymous that organizes the steps into four categories to correspond with the stages of life represented by the Medicine Wheel. The categories include steps 1-3: Finding the Creator; steps 4-6: Finding Yourself; steps7-9: Finding Your Relationship with Others; and steps 10-12: Finding the Wisdom of the Elders. This approach combines methods of sobriety and wellness with Native ways of communicating cultural knowledge in a single cohesive program.

Wellbriety training is available for families, adults, youth, people in prison, and even whole communities. The training can be done in person at the Wellbriety Training Institute in Colorado Springs, or through books and videos available fromthe Wellbriety Institute’s website.

For more information on Coyhis’s session at the 2010 NCRG conference, as well as other speakers and presentations, please download theNCRG Conference 2010 Brochure. To register for the conference, visit theConference linkon the NCRG website.

NCRG staffConference on Gambling and Addiction12-step programsAmerican Indianconference 2010NCRG Conferencetreatment for pathological gamblingWellbriety

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American Academy Approves NCRG Conference On Gambling And Addiction For Continuing Education

The American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disordershas approved 14 hours of continuing education offered by the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, scheduled for Nov. 14-16, 2010 in Las Vegas. Clinicians who attend the conference will be allowed to apply the 14 continuing education hours toward their certification as Certified Addiction Specialists (CAS) and Certified Gambling Addiction Specialists (CGAS).

Created in 1988, the American Academy of Health Care Providers in the Addictive Disorders is an international credentialing body devoted to establishing and upholding the highest standards for the provision of treatment in the addictive disorders.

The academy established a core set of standards of competence for addiction treatment professionals, including psychologists, medical doctors, nurses, social workers and counselors.

Clickherefor more information about the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction.

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