Strategic Framework for Responsible Gaming to be Focus of 2005 Conference

That the National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) Conference on Gambling and Addiction has grown three-fold and expanded to include a track for government, industry and other non-scientific professionals over the last five years is testament to the growing interest in finding a collaborative approach to responsible gaming. The importance of such cooperation, in fact, will be the centerpiece of the 2005 conference, when industry stakeholders convene this December to debate the merits of a new strategic framework for responsible gaming: The Reno Model. 

Published in the Journal of Gambling Studies (Fall 2004), "A Science-Based Framework for Responsible Gambling: The Reno Model" puts forth a "blueprint for action" to advance and coordinate efforts among gaming operators, health service providers, community groups, researchers, consumers and governments to minimize the potential harms that can be associated with gambling while also maximizing its potential benefits. 

Much like the model it directs, the position paper was the result of collaboration. Renowned gambling researchers Drs. Alex Blaszczynski, Robert Ladouceur, and Howard J. Shaffer met during a meeting in Reno, Nev., to consider the issue of responsible gaming and determined the need for a blueprint for a public health approach to the issue. 

It is no coincidence that the two primary goals espoused by the Reno Model also are fundamental objectives of the NCRG conference: "To help (1) shape the direction for developing responsible gambling initiatives and (2) stimulate a rich and enduring dialogue about responsible gambling concepts and related initiatives." The researchers involved in the model's development have been fixtures in the program since its inception. 

"What is most amazing about many of the researchers the NCRG works with is their ability to translate, for lay people, the methodology and true science behind the research they conduct. They understand the value of that information to those outside their own field - to members of the government and gaming industry who are committed to learning more about the potential effects of their public offering," said NCRG Chairman Dennis Eckart. "It's no wonder then, that these three men also realized the fundamental need to create a model for those parties to work together on the issue. The benefit of working with such inspired researchers is their unfailing quest for knowledge and forward-thinking."

The authors considered a variety of issues in developing the Reno Model framework. The nature of gambling as a public health concern, the need to base any model on sound, empirical research, the designation of stakeholders and the burden of responsibility all are explored within the paper. Challenges in developing a model, such as defining gambling-related harm and responsible gaming, also are discussed. 

The NCRG conference, "Finding Common Ground on Prevention, Treatment and Policy" will explore these and other topics. Co-sponsored by the Institute on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, the event will be held Dec. 7-8 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. As has become tradition, the opening session will set the course for this two-day program by bringing together the model's authors to explain its position and set the stage for a two-day examination of the various issues involved in developing a coordinated public health approach to disordered gambling. 

The dual-track approach will return in 2005, featuring programs specifically designed for government and industry as well as scientific and clinical professionals. Break-out sessions will examine advances in research and treatment, as well as practical applications for the gaming industry, gaming regulators, attorneys and elected officials. Staying in line with the model, attendees are encouraged to learn from each other by attending sessions in both tracks, as well as through several plenary sessions and networking events. 

Regular updates to the conference program as well as registration information can be found on the NCRG Web site.

To obtain a copy of "A Science-Based Framework for Responsible Gambling: The Reno Model," contact Christine Reilly.