The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) has relocated from the Boston suburbs to Las Vegas in the midst of overseeing 42 studies and managing a record $3.84 million in contributions.
Since its launch in 1996, the ICRG has helped individuals and families affected by gambling disorders. Its mission is to prevent the onset of gambling problems through high-quality scientific research and evidence-based educational programming. The organization works to impact public policy, strengthen responsible-gambling efforts, and improve the health and well-being of the communities affected by the industry, according to ICRG President Arthur Paikowsky.
The American Gaming Association started the ICRG when no research on gambling harm was underway done in an effort to deal with it effectively. Since the AGA is an advocacy organization for the gaming industry, however, the ICRG needed to be separate from it to meet its objective.
“We’re trying to understand how one person can bring $100 into a casino and have a great time, while the other person ends up in a really dark space,” Paikowskys said. “It’s an addictive behavior. Some 1% to 2% of people who gamble have a diagnosable gambling disorder and statistically, another 5% to 7% are considered problem gamblers. It’s impossible to believe nobody is going to be negatively affected, but let’s mitigate the harm the best that we can. The best way to do that is to understand things better and to give people who are making decisions that impact the industry, legislators, and regulators information so that they can make informed decisions.”
Over the years, nearly $40 million has been committed to the ICRG through contributions from the commercial and tribal casino companies, equipment manufacturers, vendors, sports wagering companies, and related organizations and individuals.
For 25 years, the ICRG was located in Beverly, Massachusetts, as part of a strategic partnership with Harvard Medical School. Christine Reilly lived in the Boston area and served as executive director from the beginning until she retired in 2024. With no reason to stay in the Boston area, Las Vegas made the most sense.
“We came to Vegas for several reasons,” Paikowsky said. “Most of our funders — Sands, MGM, and Caesars and Aristocrat on the slot-machine side — are based here, so it gives us immediate access. In the three and a half years I’ve been in this job, I’ve gone to the Boston office twice. I’m here all the time. We’re also making a statement that there’s no place like Vegas when it comes to gambling.”
Currently 42 studies are ongoing and the Las Vegas headquarters, located near the Las Vegas Convention Center, is the way to keep them abreast of what’s happening.
“It’s not necessarily telling them what the findings will be, but letting them know how far along the study is,” Paikowsky said.
Including Paikowsky, the ICRG has a staff of five: – a, assistant, a director of research, part-time fundraiser, and marketing and communications executive who works with tribal gaming, and an executive assistant.
The ICRG recently announced it has raised $3.84 million for its studies and operations. When Paikowsky started three years ago, they’d raised $1.3 million.
“We’ve had sizable increases in our fundraising over the last three years, almost to the point of a 300% increase,” Paikowsky said. “The industry has grown increasingly more aware of its responsibility to be part of the process of making sure that we help people who struggle and suffer from gambling harm. You’re starting to see more companies recognizing the value of research and understanding. Responsible gaming is important to the sustainability of the industry.”
Existing donors are giving more, but new companies are also coming into the mix to fund the research. Operators from around the world, primarily from Europe, “weren’t on the radar screen when I came,” Paikowsky said. “Big companies, like Playtech and GeoComply. That’s helped a lot. A number of tribes, such as the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, are strong supporters as well.
The proposed studies are remitted to a scientific advisory board, which exclusively processes grants with peer-review committees. There’s no input or involvement from funders and the ICRG board, showing “that the research is undeniable,” Paikowsky said.
“Our funders understand that there’ll be hard pills to swallow when some of these studies are finished. It’s a great process and we feel like we’re best-in-class when it comes to research and gambling.”
One day, Paikowsky would like to see the National Institutes of Health provide funding for research and make a further dent on the issue. “Our resources are far too inadequate to the need, especially with populations at risk. And there’s quite a few of them, not the least of which are younger people.”
The competition for the grants is fierce. And more researchers are needed to undertake problem gambling studies.
“We’ll suffer if a young investigator has to choose between gambling research or drug or alcohol studies, funded in the seven figures by NIH,” Paikowsky said. “We fear we’re going to reach a point where there’s not enough investigators that do the necessary research.”
Based on trends in the industry, a lot of interest is focused on studying impacts of online gaming and sports betting. There’s also research on lotteries, different demographic groups, and what messaging does and doesn’t work in keeping players safe. There’s a study on how artificial intelligence could be used to understand people’s risky gambling behaviors and what might help.
“In the real world, the void of information and facts is dangerous,” according to Paikowsky. “People go on instinct alone and assume something is bad. For example, the thought that there’s too much advertising. But there’s no real evidence on whether advertising does or doesn’t contribute to problem gambling. It sounds like it contributes, but what we say is the impact of advertising needs to be studied.”
One groundbreaking study that’s been released is on sports-wagering behaviors.
With support from the ICRG Sports Wagering Fund, Dr. Josh Grubbs, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of New Mexico, conducted a two-year study examining the dynamics of sports wagering in a nationally representative sample of more than 4,000 Americans. His findings suggest that sports betting itself isn’t inherently riskier than other forms of gambling; rather, those who engage in it tend to be more impulsive and gamble more frequently across various platforms. Individuals in this group also report higher rates of binge drinking. Sports bettors who cite loneliness, perceived deprivation, or depression as motives for gambling may be at particular risk for increased harm.
Though sports bettors generally remain consistent in their gambling habits over time, Dr. Grubbs’s longitudinal data show that rates of problem gambling often decline. Nonetheless, there is a strong correlation over time between frequent sports betting and alcohol consumption, indicating that people who combine both activities at high levels are especially vulnerable.
The study will be published by the American Medical Association in its psychology edition, which Paikowsky called a first and shows the demand for knowledge and information on gambling addiction. “The impact of these 42 studies is going to be amazing,” Paikowsky said.
In today’s world, there will always be people who are anti-gambling and don’t believe any amount is safe, Paikowsky said. But people will gamble, so the only question is whether it’s done in a regulated or unregulated market.
A lot of what’s been done in gaming over the last 25 years has come out of ICRG research, such as self-exclusion, time limits, and budget and other tools, to prevent players from going over the top.
“There’s a lot going on right now that we have very little data on,” Paikowsky said. “It takes time to do quality research and we’re fighting the clock to get these studies done, so people can make informed decisions.” That’s especially true with online gaming, as states beyond the trailblazers — New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania — consider legalizing it.
“We don’t know a lot about the impact of betting twenty-four-seven on your phone, but we need to know,” Paikowsky said. “There’s a whole new world out there presenting danger to some players. We need to figure out ways to mitigate those harms.
“If gambling is made safer, I believe it’s a win-win for the industry. You’ve done the right thing by assuming responsibility for helping people and you protect your business all at the same time.”
A list of board membersshows the representation from the industry.
