Conference Program At-A-Glance

Download the full conference brochure.

All events will be held at Mandalay Bay Convention Center, unless otherwise noted.

*Sessions marked by an asterisk will count for CEU certification for health care providers.

Sunday, November 15

9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Registration Open

10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Registration Required

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Registration Required

1 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION
Welcome: A New Era for the NCRG
Speaker: Glenn Christenson, Chairman, NCRG

1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION
Neuroeconomics: How Our Brains Shape Our Decisions*
Speaker: Scott Huettel, Ph.D., Duke University

Many decisions involve uncertainty — from the risk of betting on a long shot, to the ambiguity of the mortgage industry and financial markets. How does the brain deal with this uncertainty? Why do people differ in the ways they approach decisions? How does the organization of our brain influence the decisions we make? Scott Huettel will present the insights gained from his brain imaging research and their implications for understanding disordered gambling behavior, consumer behavior, and the normal, everyday choices we all make. His presentation will be followed by responses from a panel representing clinical, research, industry and public health perspectives.

3:30 p.m.– 4 p.m.
Refreshment Break

4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Compulsive Buying: What Does the Evidence Say, and What Should Clinicians Know?*
Presenter: Donald Black, M.D., University of Iowa

Compulsive buying disorder is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges or behaviors regarding shopping and spending that lead to distress or impaired functioning. However, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders does not list this condition as a disorder, and researchers debate its classification. Is it related to addictive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or mood disorders? Dr. Black will review the scientific literature on compulsive buying and potential treatment strategies.

Exploring the Role and Efficacy of Government in Responsible Gaming Programs
Moderator: Nanette Horner, Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Panelists: Mark Clayton, Lionel, Sawyer & Collins
William R. Eadington, Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno
Mike Smith, Casino Association of Indiana

The role of government in responsible gaming is a complicated matter. To what extent can or should the government intervene in the lives of its citizens, even those who may need help, without violating personal freedoms? Self-exclusion programs, loss limits, social marketing and other government-sponsored responsible gaming strategies have been used across the U.S. and internationally, but to what success? What is the true impact of these programs? These and other critical questions will be explored.

5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Informed Choice and Responsible Gaming: From Theory to Practice
Moderator: Dean Hestermann, Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.
Panelists: Peter Collins, Ph.D., University of Salford and South African National Responsible Gaming Programme
Lia Nower, J.D., Ph.D., Rutgers University School of Social Work

Gambling involves making decisions, and sometimes poor judgment can lead to excessive gambling. How can responsible gaming programs help gamblers make informed choices? Lia Nower will propose key decisionmaking models and goals that lead to optimal choices for gamblers. Respondents working on responsible gaming initiatives in the field will present concrete examples of how to help gamblers be informed consumers and discuss the challenges of translating theory to practice.

The Dynamics of Money: Helping Your Clients Create Financial Health*
Moderator: Sue Cox, NCRG
Presenter: Judith Gruber, M.S.W, L.C.S.W., C.C.E.T., Money and
Empowerment™

To help clients with financial issues, clinicians need to address their own beliefs and behavior with money. Judith Gruber will explore how money is used as a reflection of one’s beliefs, attitudes and self-perceptions, how one relates to money, and how one’s misconceptions and self-imposed images lead to negative behavior patterns. She will discuss techniques to help clients transform self-defeating behavior patterns and understand how to cultivate a new sense of financial health.

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Poster Session and Reception

Sponsored by:

Monday, November 16

8:30 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.
PLENARY SESSION
Town Hall Meeting: Impact of the Economic Downturn on Gambling and Addiction*
Moderator: Glenn Christenson, NCRG
Panelists: Wes Ehrecke, Iowa Gaming Association
Janet Miller, M.S., L.A.C., B.C.C.G.C., A.A.D.C., Louisiana Association on Compulsive Gambling
Shelia Morago, Arizona Indian Gaming Association
Ken C. Winters, Ph.D., University of Minnesota Medical School

From shifting state budget priorities and diminished funding to layoffs and clients in crisis, everyone has seen the effects of today’s faltering economy. This program will bring NCRG conference attendees together in an open forum, led by representatives from key audience segments, to discuss these and other pressing issues related to gambling and the national financial crisis. Share your experiences and learn from others during this engaging plenary session.

9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
PLENARY SESSION
Why Don’t Gamblers with Problems Seek Help?*
Moderator: Harold Wynne, Ph.D., Wynne Resources
Presenter: Tony Toneatto, Ph.D., Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

The majority of people with gambling problems do not seek formal treatment. Is it because of stigma, ambivalence about change or a lack of resources? Tony Toneatto will review the research community’s current views on the lack of treatment-seeking in this population and report on a new Canadian study that examined these patterns. He will consider the implications of this research for treatment providers and public health policies.

10:45 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Refreshment Break

11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
PLENARY SESSION
What is Usual about “Treatment as Usual?”*
Moderator: Marc N. Potenza, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine
Presenter: Kathleen Carroll, Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine

Despite increased emphasis on using empirically supported therapies to improve standard clinical practice and patient outcomes, objective descriptions of what actually constitutes "standard" practice in community-based drug abuse treatment do not exist. Kathleen Carroll will present data from the “treatment-as-usual” arm of two multi-site randomized effectiveness trials in the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network. These data suggest missed opportunities for optimally enhancing substance use outcomes and indicate only moderate success to date of efforts to bridge the gap between research and practice.

12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.
NCRG Scientific Achievement Awards Luncheon
Sponsored by: Potawatomi Bingo Casino

2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
WORKSHOPS
GAMTOMS: Measuring the Effectiveness of Treatment*
Presenter: Randy Stinchfield, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
Treatment providers, payers, clients and policy makers all are interested in the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of treatment. The GAMTOMS(Gambling Treatment Outcome Monitoring System) was developed to fill the need for a psychometrically sound instrument to measure the effectiveness of treatment. Randy Stinchfield, the principal developer of the GAMTOMS, will discuss the development and evaluation of this instrument and talk with researchers and clinicians interested in utilizing it.

Meeting the Challenges of Gambling Research*
Presenters: Jon E. Grant, J.D., M.D., M.P.H., University of Minnesota Medical School
Marc Potenza, M.D., Ph.D., Yale University School of Medicine

The young field of gambling studies poses a host of challenges to investigators: recruitment of subjects, access to datasets, shortcomings of screening and diagnostic instruments and limited financial support. Leaders in the research field will explore how to navigate these challenges to keep the field moving forward.

Strategies for Addressing Problem Gambling in the Workplace*
Presenters: Marie Apke, M.A., L.C.P.C., C.E.A.P., C.C.G.C., P.C.G.C., I.C.P.G.C., Bensinger, DuPont & Associates
Punam Mathur, NV Energy
Carl Williams, Ph.D., Pioneer Behavioral Health

Many companies in gaming jurisdictions recognize the risk their employees may face living and working in cities where gambling is easily accessible. During this session, learn how gaming and non-gaming operations alike can educate and support their staffs through employee assistance programs and other activities.

4 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Refreshment Break

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m.
America Anonymous: Eight Addicts in Search of a Life*
Moderator: Jon E. Grant, J.D., M.D., M.P.H., University of Minnesota Medical School
Presenter: Benoit Denizet-Lewis

America Anonymous is the critically acclaimed book about eight men and women from around the country struggling to recover from addictions. For nearly three years, Benoit Denizet-Lewis immersed himself in their lives as they battled drug and alcohol abuse, overeating, gambling and sexual addiction. Through the stories of Americans in various stages of recovery and relapse, Denizet-Lewis shines a spotlight on our most misunderstood health problem and breaks through the shame and denial that still shape our cultural understanding of addiction—and hamper our ability to treat it.

7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
G2E Welcome Reception

Tuesday, November 17

Las Vegas Convention Center

9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
NCRG at G2E
Penny Wise: Operating Responsible Gaming Programs on a Shoestring Budget
Moderator: Christine Reilly, Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders
Panelists: William Bingham, Bellagio Las Vegas
Dianna Scina, San Manuel Bingo & Casino
Jennifer Shatley, Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.
Kelly Skindzelewski, Potawatomi Bingo Casino

With budgets in the red across the country, optimization is the word of the day. But how do you trim an already small budget, as is often the case with responsible gaming programs? Industry innovators from commercial and Native American casinos in jurisdictions across the United States will share their secrets for maximizing your responsible gaming dollars.

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
G2E Opening Day Keynote Address

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
NCRG at G2E
Myth vs. Evidence: Native Americans and Problem Gambling
Moderator: Christine Reilly, Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders
Presenter: Kate Spilde, Ph.D., M.B.A., San Diego State University

Minority populations often have higher rates of addiction. The involvement of Indian tribes in gaming has raised questions about the impact on the health of their members. The panel will look at the available evidence to determine the health risks of Native Americans exposed to gambling.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.
NCRG at G2E
Demystifying Gaming Machines: Can a Slot Machine Cause Addiction?
Moderator: Christine Reilly, Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders
Panelists: Connie Jones, International Game Technology
Rohan Miller, Ph.D., University of Sydney
Kevin Mullally, Gaming Laboratories International

Much has been made about the nature of slot machines — can the machine inherently cause addiction? No one is more interested in answering that question than the industry itself. During this session, a researcher in the field will join key industry stakeholders to explore this hot-button issue.

3 p.m.
G2E Show Floor Tour
Registration Required

Sponsored by: