Transcript Select the “Action Items” - North American Gaming Regulators

New Trends in Gambling
Research
Christine Reilly
Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling
and Related Disorders
Division on Addictions
Cambridge Health Alliance, affiliate of Harvard Medical School
Explosion of Knowledge
1/3 of all knowledge
about gambling published
1999-2003
 Much of what we know
has been learned only in
the past few years
 Findings have challenged
conventional wisdom
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Research Trends
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Population Studies
– Trajectory dynamic, not static
– Transition to adulthood
– Natural recovery
– Similarity of international prevalence rates
Genetics
 Drug Treatments
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Trajectory of gambling disorders
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Conventional wisdom
– Gambling addiction chronic, progressive
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Research indicates
– Dynamic
– Episodic rather than chronic
– Moving toward health
From adolescence to adulthood
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Longitudinal study by Winters, Stinchfield,
Botzet, & Slutske (2005)
Gambling problem progression during
adolescence dynamic
No evidence of automatic progression to most
disordered state
No evidence that increased gambling in
Minnesota triggered increase in PG among youth
Demonstrates importance of longitudinal studies
Natural Recovery

Conventional wisdom
– People with gambling addiction need
treatment or self-help groups to recover
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New Research – University of Missouri
(Slutske, 2006)
– First empirical evidence for natural recovery
– Analysis of 2 national community surveys
– Approximately 1/3 got well on their own
– Similar to other addictive disorders
International Prevalence Rates
Role of Genetics
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Conventional wisdom
– Clinicians have suspected genetic link

Research now provides evidence for
genetic role
– University of Iowa study (funded by NCRG)
– National Institutes of Health
Treatment
No treatment standard yet
 Promising strategies:
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– Pharmacological interventions
– Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
– Brief interventions
Drug Treatments
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Nalmefene study released in 2006
– Used for alcohol disorders
– Largest randomized pharmacotherapy trial for
PG
– Nalmefene effective for reducing PG
symptoms
– Published in American Journal of Psychiatry
(Grant, JE, et al., 2006)
Implications for Gaming
Regulations
Understanding of PG shifting constantly
It’s not about the game
Responsible gaming policies should be based on
empirical not anecdotal evidence
 Prevalence does not = treatment-seeking
 Educational materials must be updated
periodically
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– EMERGE: Executive, Management and Employee
Responsible Gaming Education
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Evaluation of prevention and intervention
programs essential
How to keep up with research
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Subscribe to the BASIS
– Monthly research report on gambling research
– The WAGER
Contact the Institute (781-306-8604);
[email protected]
 Attend Annual NCRG Conference on
Gambling and Addiction

NCRG
Conference
on Gambling &
Addiction
7th Annual
Lost in Translation?
The Challenge of Turning
Good Research into Best
Practices
November 12-14, 2006
Las Vegas