International Experts Convene to Discuss Global Strategic Plan for Gambling Research

This June, representatives from leading international grant-making and research organizations met in Washington, D.C., to lay the groundwork for future collaboration and coordination in gambling addiction research. Hosted by the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG), the meeting was seen by many in the responsible gaming research community as a significant step toward improving communication about research being conducted throughout the world. Meeting attendees included executives from government agencies and private foundations representing Australia, Belgium, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The meeting, themed "Toward a Global Strategic Plan for Research on Gambling Disorders," provided an opportunity for participants to share research agendas and facilitate cross-border information sharing. 

"As we begin the celebration of the NCRG's 10th anniversary, and as we near the $10 million mark in research funding distributed, it is important to evaluate our efforts to date and ensure that the NCRG and the research it funds are on the right track," said Dennis Eckart, chairman of the NCRG. "This meeting helps benchmark our activities against what's being done in other parts of the world and helps us find ways to work together to further our efforts and meet common goals."

Over the years, the NCRG has become a resource for international researchers and grant-makers looking to improve the quality and depth of the research available on a global scale, Eckart said. While each country has its own culture that will uniquely affect the development of gambling disorders within its borders, there is an astonishing similarity among the prevalence rates in countries around the globe. Such common ground indicates that international cooperation could be universally beneficial. 

With pathological gambling research and treatment efforts garnering increased attention worldwide due to expansion of international gambling, Eckart saw the need for an organized, open discussion of global efforts. 

"There is some very good work going on around the world," Eckart said, "but all too often, researchers feel they are isolated."

According to Christine Reilly, executive director of the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, participants at the meeting discovered they had more in common than they assumed.

"This was the first time many of these people had all been in the same room together," Reilly said. "Throughout our two-day discussion, we realized we face many of the same challenges and issues related to funding research on disordered gambling. We talked a lot about the research topics we're interested in funding, our philosophies of research, current gaps in the field and, ultimately, potential areas where we can support each other in the future."

According to Debbie Edwards, problem gaming project leader for non-communicable diseases policy for the Public Health Directorate at the New Zealand Ministry of Health, the ability to establish relationships with others who have a similar responsibility to identify opportunities to share information and undertake joint planning work, or even joint research work, was a key outcome of the meeting.

"It was also helpful to learn about other approaches to problem gambling research and how some of the key issues are addressed," she said. 

Reilly said the Institute plans to draft an initial concept paper outlining potential areas of collaboration among the group. It also plans to set up an internal Web site allowing participants to post and comment on materials and begin to establish a consistent dialogue.

Reilly said participants plan to meet via conference call in September, then again in person in conjunction with the sixth annual NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction being held in Las Vegas in December. One key element of that discussion will involve formulating a response to the joint paper by Drs. Alex Blaszczynski (Australia), Robert Ladouceur (Canada) and Howard J. Shaffer (U.S.) entitled "A Science-Based Framework for Responsible Gambling: The Reno Model," which raises the prospect of stablishing an organization to coordinate the global responsible gaming agenda.

"What's most important is discovering ways to use our limited resources effectively in terms of, for example, sharing data and standardizing methodology," she said. "This meeting showed us that there's definitely a lot of potential."