The gaming industry is, unfortunately, accustomed to reading negative media stories that all too often rely on outdated or disproven research—or junk science—to make their case. A recent story in the New York Times claiming that slot machines cause gambling addiction is yet another example. Four decades of experience with a dramatic increase in the number of slots but no corresponding increase in the rate of pathological gambling (consistently 1 percent) is apparently not evidence enough. Nor is a recent University of Iowa study reaffirming earlier research by Harvard Medical School and other major institutions.
What is true is how seriously the industry takes the issue
of pathological gambling. As one example
of that, the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG), the only national
organization exclusively devoted to funding such research and the American
Gaming Association’s affiliated charity, just announced it has allocated nearly
$1 million in grants for 2013 to study gambling disorders. These grants range in size from $1,500 travel
grants to $25,000 seed grants to $75,000 large grants. In addition, for the first time the NCRG is
offering an Addiction Fellowship for two years that will help prepare qualified
individuals for careers that could have a significant impact on the
understanding and treatment of gambling disorders. All of this activity is under the direction
of a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of leading scientists who follow the
National Institutes of Health criteria for scientific merit.
This organization, and the body of work it has supported, has
taught us much of what we know about the field of gambling disorders. Among the numerous findings are: promising treatments for gambling
disorders; more evidence for the role of
genetics in the development of the disorder;
the first national survey of gambling on college campuses; and a model
for evaluating self-exclusion and treatment programs.
To learn more about the NCRG grants program and the impact
of research funded by the NCRG, visit www.ncrg.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment