To understand how many people in a given area have a gambling problem, we must first understand how gambling disorders are defined and measured. We addressed some of the foundational questions of definition and measurement in the NCRG’s "Gambling Disorders Explained" post earlier this year. Now that the definitions have been outlined, we will examine two common methods used to discuss diseases in a population: prevalence and incidence.
Dr. Howard Shaffer, director of the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, spoke on the subject of research revolutions in gambling disorders at last year’s National Council on Problem Gambling annual conference. Although he was discussing new trends in gambling research, “revolution” is also an apt term to describe the work of Dr. Shaffer and his colleagues at the Division on Addiction, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Researchers have debated whether or not casino games, such as poker or sports betting, should be considered games of skill or games of chance. What qualifies a game to be labeled a “game of skill” by researchers? This is the subject being examined by 2012 NCRG Outstanding Poster Award Winner Dr.
Recovery from addiction can be a fluid process, with successful times and relapses. During her talk at the 13th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, Alexandre Laudet, Ph.D., stated that the science of addiction needs to be complemented with the science of recovery. This will help to increase our understanding of the components, patterns paths and predictors of long-term recovery.
Once again, the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction continued its partnership with Global Gaming Expo (G2E) by offering the "NCRG at G2E" track of sessions on October 2. For the second year, the NCRG Conference co-located with G2E, making it easier for attendees of both events to learn about best practices in responsible gaming. The first session on this year’s NCRG at G2E series took a close look howtreatment providers report on their use of funds and how government and the private sector evaluates the impact of these services.
The NCRG has named Randy Stinchfield, Ph.D., L.P., associate director of the Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research in the department of psychiatry at the University of Minnesota Medical School, the recipient of the NCRG 2012 Scientific Achievement Award in recognition of his pioneering contributions to the field of research on rambling disorders. Dr. Stinchfield was honored at an awards luncheon on October 1, 2012 during the 13th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction. You can watch his acceptance speech below or on the NCRG's YouTube channel.
To understand the big picture of what constitutes a recovery from a gambling disorder, it is best to look at it from both national and local perspectives. The 13th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction kicked off Tuesday morning with a presentation from H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness in America’s communities.
Continuing the theme of “Exploring New Trends in Recovery, Research and Responsible Gaming,” Monday’s NCRG Conference sessions took a close look at responsible gaming strategies. The afternoon session let by Robert Ladouceur, Ph.D., professor emeritus of psychology at Laval University, talked about smart cards and examined whether or not they were effective in encouraging responsible play among gamblers.
On the first day of the 13th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, a session of three notable researchers and clinicians took a close look at the issues surrounding treatment and recovery from a gambling disorder.
Dr. Howard Shaffer, director of the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, spoke on the subject of 
Researchers have debated whether or not casino games, such as poker or sports betting, should be considered games of skill or games of chance. What qualifies a game to be labeled a “game of skill” by researchers? This is the subject being examined by 2012 NCRG Outstanding Poster Award Winner Dr.
Recovery from addiction can be a fluid process, with successful times and relapses. During her talk at the 13th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction, Alexandre Laudet, Ph.D., stated that the science of addiction needs to be complemented with the science of recovery. This will help to increase our understanding of the components, patterns paths and predictors of long-term recovery.
To understand the big picture of what constitutes a recovery from a gambling disorder, it is best to look at it from both national and local perspectives. The 13th annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction kicked off Tuesday morning with a presentation from H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness in America’s communities.
