Harvard Research Inspires Yale, Minn Problem Gambling Centers

The departments for studying the causes and effective treatment of problem gambling will be located at Yale University and the University of Minnesota.

The National Center for Responsible Gaming announced today it would create two Centers for Excellence in Gambling Research. The departments for studying the causes and effective treatment of problem gambling will be located at Yale University and the University of Minnesota.

"We are entering a new era in the field of gambling research, in large part thanks to the significant, groundbreaking work conducted by Dr. Howard Shaffer and his research team at the (Harvard Medical School) Division on Addictions," said Glenn Christenson, chairman of the NCRG.

"After more than a decade of grant-making and the considerable progress that has been made in the study of gambling disorders during that time, it is clear to us that supporting long-term, multidisciplinary research is a critical component to advancing the field."

Shaffer and his group recently completed a study over several years demonstrating that commonly-held prejudices against online gambling, including a high likelihood of addiction, were unfounded in reality. The process and its unexpected conclusions have shown the need for objective and scientific research in a field often dominated by so-called "common sense knowledge."

The Center at Yale will examine factors influencing treatment of gambling disorders, including running double-blind randomized studies on the effectiveness of drug therapies to combat impulsive gambling.

The Center at Minnesota will concentrate on methods of identifying potential pathological gamblers and determining what factors cause susceptibility to compulsive gaming.

"This marks a true evolution in our approach to funding research, one we are confident will contribute to seminal findings on gambling disorders in the years ahead," said Christenson.