NCRG Releases 2003 Annual Report
The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) recently released its 2003 annual report, highlighting its key accomplishments from last year. The organization embarked on an ambitious agenda in 2003, furthering its mission to be the leading source of science-based research and information on gambling and health and to advance education, prevention, treatment and public policy.
In its eighth year, the NCRG continued to support only the highest-quality scientific research on disordered gambling through the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, a program at Harvard Medical SchoolÕs Division on Addictions. In 2003, the Institute awarded four external neuroscience research grants, totaling $671,626. In addition, the Institute was active with gambling research projects of its own, including studies focused on the rate of gambling among U.S. college students and the impact of Missouri's self-exclusion program. Findings from several NCRG-funded studies also were unveiled in 2003 and published in a number of peer-reviewed academic journals.
On the education front, the NCRG also made great strides. Perhaps the most significant development of 2003 was the expansion of the NCRG's annual conference. In its fourth year, the NCRG Conference on Gambling and Addiction debuted a two-track conference program aimed at examining advances in addictions research and treatment, as well as practical applications for the gaming industry, regulators, attorneys and elected officials.
The expansion of the conference is part of the NCRG's effort to approach disordered gambling as a public health issue and to promote dialogue among all those concerned with working toward the continued advancement of research and understanding of disordered gambling. More than 400 people attended the 2003 annual conference, a 30 percent increase compared to 2002 totals.
Last year also heralded the start of several new funding commitments for the NCRG. These new contributions, along with proceeds from three charity events held in 2003, helped push total funding for the NCRG beyond the $13 million mark. These funds will allow the NCRG to pursue future projects centered on the development of practical industry- and public-oriented peer-reviewed scientific research and education applicable to the casino setting, continuing to raise public awareness surrounding disordered gambling and its consequences.
The annual report highlighted additional NCRG activities scheduled for the coming year, including working with the Institute to develop an employee responsible gaming certification program; developing a best practices survey to highlight the most effective methods to identify, study and treat disordered gambling; and hosting an international forum for researchers and public policy representatives from around the world. The event will explore the idea of a coordinated international research agenda, as well as commonalities and differences across geographic and cultural borders.
