Submission Title

Making harms matter: Translating research on gambling-related harms into practice

Session Title

Session 1-1-C: Making Harms Matter

Presentation Type

Event

Location

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Start Date

28-5-2019 9:15 AM

End Date

28-5-2019 10:40 AM

Disciplines

Community-Based Research | Economics | Public Health

Abstract

This abstract should be considered alongside the abstract submitted by Heather Wardle and Tim Miller.

There have been increasing calls to better understand the range of harms associated with gambling, including how to define, measure and understand the costs associated with gambling harms. This is pivotal both to understanding gambling from a public health perspective and for effecting policy change in environments where the harms from gambling are, arguably, underestimated. Achieving this requires close co-operation between researchers, policy makers and a range of stakeholders. This process is currently being undertaken in Massachusetts and this paper draws on the experiences of the two presenters, as researcher and commissioner/consumer of research, to explore this intersection. From each perspective, they will identify the key lessons to be learned when attempting to achieve impact with research and make it useful to a range of different audiences. This includes developing relationships with numerous stakeholder groups, co-production of research, effective communication and more. The presenters will explore lessons learned as well as some of the pitfalls of knowledge translation using their experience of attempting to change debate and knowledge about the range of harms associated with gambling in Massachusetts.

Keywords

Research, Regulation, Gambling Harm, Knowledge Exchange

Author Bios

Rachel Volberg is currently the Principal Investigator on two major studies funded by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission: the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA) study and the Massachusetts Gambling Impact Cohort (MAGIC) study. Dr. Volberg has published extensively and presents frequently at national and international conferences. She holds professorial appointments at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.

Mark Vander Linden is the Director of Research and Responsible Gaming at the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Mr. Vander Linden oversees the MGC’s wide-ranging research agenda as well as the MGC’s responsible gaming initiatives. Mr. Vander Linden works closely with stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth to support effective and innovative prevention, treatment and recovery support methods. Mr. Vander Linden serves on the boards of the Association of Problem Gambling Service Administrators and the National Center for Problem Gambling.

Funding Sources

All funding for the work to be presented was provided by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The MGC funds and oversees the research but is not involved in the conduct of the research or analysis of the results.

Competing Interests

The authors do not have any conflicts of interest to declare.

Comments

This paper examines an oft-ignored aspect of research – what happens when the research is done and how does this translate into action. As part of a proposed series of papers exploring this (with Heather Wardle and Tim Miller), it is unique in presenting the dual perspective of the researcher and policy maker together.

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May 28th, 9:15 AM May 28th, 10:40 AM

Making harms matter: Translating research on gambling-related harms into practice

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

This abstract should be considered alongside the abstract submitted by Heather Wardle and Tim Miller.

There have been increasing calls to better understand the range of harms associated with gambling, including how to define, measure and understand the costs associated with gambling harms. This is pivotal both to understanding gambling from a public health perspective and for effecting policy change in environments where the harms from gambling are, arguably, underestimated. Achieving this requires close co-operation between researchers, policy makers and a range of stakeholders. This process is currently being undertaken in Massachusetts and this paper draws on the experiences of the two presenters, as researcher and commissioner/consumer of research, to explore this intersection. From each perspective, they will identify the key lessons to be learned when attempting to achieve impact with research and make it useful to a range of different audiences. This includes developing relationships with numerous stakeholder groups, co-production of research, effective communication and more. The presenters will explore lessons learned as well as some of the pitfalls of knowledge translation using their experience of attempting to change debate and knowledge about the range of harms associated with gambling in Massachusetts.