Australian Centre for Gambling Research (ACGR) — Australia
www.aigr.uws.edu.au
Jan McMillen is the executive
director of the ACGR and has been researching gambling issues extensively
since the 1980s. The Centre is located at the University of Western Sydney
and performs a wide range of research on gambling-related topics of international
interest. All reports, journal articles and working papers produced by
the Centre are documented on the site — and are available electronically
in some cases. Abstracts of journal articles published in International
Gambling Studies can also be read on the Web site.
Gambling Research Panel &
Victorian Casino and Gaming Authority (VCGA) — Australia
www.grp.vic.gov.au
& www.gambling.vcga.vic.gov.au
The Gambling Research Panel
is a state government-funded organization that independently commissions
and publishes research into the social and economic impacts of gambling
and the causes and prevention of problem gambling. The Victorian Casino
and Gaming Authority’s Research Committee was replaced by the Gambling
Research Panel in November 2000. Over 30 extensive publications have been
produced to date, and most are available from the VCGA Web site. I especially
recommend this site to those performing research on the socioeconomic
impacts of gambling.
Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Commission (AADAC) — Canada
http://corp.aadac.com/gambling/index.asp
The AADAC Web site provides
a wealth of information on alcohol, drugs and gambling. As an agency funded
by the Province of Alberta, its mandate is to help citizens achieve lives
free from substance use and gambling problems. The gambling section provides
a good selection of recent reports, fact sheets and brochures. The Commission’s
resource catalogue (see Catalogue near the top of the page http://corp.aadac.com/gambling/index.asp)
offers a complete listing of all resources available for purchase from
the organization. Many of the items on this substantial list include resources
designed to educate special populations of gamblers.
Alberta Gaming Research Institute
(AGRI) — Canada
The AGRI site can be considered
a research portal for individuals interested in gambling issues. The
Library
Resources section of the site provides an extensive listing of on-line
and print materials (e.g., reference sources, gambling journals, newspaper
articles, bibliographies, etc.). Other areas of interest on the site
include current and completed initiatives funded by the Institute
in the Research
section and the growing Grey Literature Database of gaming reports not
controlled by commercial publishers, which is found at http://gaming.uleth.ca.
The Institute is a consortium arrangement of the universities of
Alberta,
Calgary and Lethbridge, and its function is to support and promote research
into gaming and gambling in Alberta.
Canada West Foundation —
Canada
www.cwf.ca
Unlike the United States and
Australia, the Canadian federal government has never funded a national
gambling study. The Canada West Foundation, an independent, non-partisan,
non-profit public policy research institute, undertook a comprehensive
Gambling in Canada project that ended in November 2001. The 18 reports
in the series were produced over four years and are freely accessible
from the foundation’s Web site in the Publications section. As an
added bonus, speaking notes from recent presentations on gambling issues
are included in the Presentations section. It is necessary register (at
no charge) on your initial visit to the Web site in order to download
reports and presentations.
Ontario Problem Gambling Research
Centre — Canada
www.gamblingresearch.org
This Ontario Problem Gambling
Research Centre gets my vote for technological excellence among the Web
sites reviewed here. The Webcasts (i.e., video clips) and eWildman bibliography
are both terrific resources. Also available are reports commissioned by
the Centre in order to enhance the understanding of problem gambling and
strengthen treatment and prevention practices through research. Shortcomings
are the registration and sign-in requirements for access to resources.
Responsible Gambling Council
(Ontario) — Canada
www.responsiblegambling.org
The Responsible Gambling Council
(Ontario) helps individuals and communities address gambling in a healthy
and responsible way, with a strong emphasis on preventing gambling-related
problems. The most impressive resource is the e-Library — a collection
of nearly 4000 gambling-related items (e.g., newspaper articles, on-line
reports). Researchers can search this database by keyword, subject category
and geographic location. Also available on the Web site are the complete
archives for the Council’s informative Newscan and Newslink publications.
Visit this site regularly to stay abreast of new developments in gambling.
The Centre for Gambling Studies,
University of Auckland — New Zealand
www.gamblingstudies.co.nz
The recently redesigned and
updated Centre for Gambling Studies (formerly known as the Gambling Studies
Institute) Web site provides details of the Centre’s research reports.
Some exciting gambling research projects are presently underway (e.g.,
gambling in Samoan communities, adolescent gambling behaviour, prison
problem gambling and counselling). The Centre for Gambling Studies is
part of the University of Auckland’s faculty of medicine and health
sciences and seeks to minimize harm from gambling and promote community
well-being.
GamCare — United Kingdom
www.gamcare.org.uk
GamCare is the United Kingdom’s
national centre for information, advice and practical help with regard
to the social impact of gambling. A range of research-oriented books (e.g.,
Adolescent Gambling by Mark Griffiths) and counselling resources are available
for purchase from the Web site. GamCare’s policy is to be gambling
neutral and its main objectives are to improve the understanding of the
social impact of gambling, promote a responsible approach to gambling
and address the needs of those adversely affected by a gambling dependency.
Gaming Studies Research Center,
University of Nevada, Las Vegas — United States
http://gaming.unlv.edu
Dave Schwartz, co-ordinator
of Gaming Studies Research Center, has done a superior job assembling
a virtual potpourri of gambling-related resources on this Web site. Highlights
of the site include an extensive listing of graduate dissertations, a
reading room of articles on topical issues and an unrivalled collection
of links to gambling sites and conferences. It is immediately evident
that this resource takes a number of visits to explore fully, but it is
well worth the effort. The Gaming Studies Research Center at the University
of Nevada, Las Vegas, is a clearinghouse of data on the business of gaming,
its economic and social impacts and its historical and cultural manifestations.
Gemini Research, Ltd. —
United States
www.geminiresearch.com
Rachel Volberg, president of
Gemini Research, Inc., has directed or consulted on dozens of studies
on gambling and problem gambling. The Gemini Research Web site provides
an authoritative bibliography of journal articles, books and book chapters,
and research reports that she has authored since 1986. A section of particular
interest to researchers is the Reports & Links area that lists links
to the reports, which are fully available on-line.
Institute for the Study of
Gambling and Commercial Gaming — United States
www.unr.edu/game/index.asp
The Institute, based at the
University of Nevada, Reno, serves to broaden the understanding of gambling
and the commercial gaming industries. A real strength of this site is
its listing of current and forthcoming print publications available for
order. Several article summaries and book chapters from recent publications
by Institute scholars are available as well as an updated selection of
gaming events and news.
National Indian Gaming Association
(NIGA) Library & Resource Center — United States
http://indiangaming.org/library
NIGA operates as a clearinghouse
and educational, legislative and public policy resource for tribes, policymakers
and the general public on Native American gaming issues and tribal community
development. The highlight of the Web site is certainly the Resources
section, which features a searchable, browsable listing of studies, books
and testimonies. The majority of these items can be downloaded from the
site or read on-line in their entirety. This site is a vital resource
when reviewing on-line sources for information on aboriginal gambling
issues.
The Wager: Weekly Addiction
Gambling Education Report — United States
www.thewager.org
No review of gambling Web sites
would be complete without mention of The Wager. The editors at the addictions
division of Harvard Medical School have been producing weekly research
bulletins in order to share the latest developments in pathological gambling.
The Back Issues section contains an archive of every published newsletter
since 1996. Fortunately, there is also an excellent search mechanism to
allow site users to quickly locate articles by keyword. Be sure to sign-up
for the Mailing List if you would like to be notified when new topics
are available.
This review article was
not peer-reviewed.
Submitted: August 6, 2002
For correspondence:
Rhys Stevens
Alberta Gaming Research Institute
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
Email:
Phone: (403) 329-5176
Fax: (403) 329-2234
Rhys Stevens is currently
the librarian for the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, and he is based
at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, Alberta. He obtained
his masters degree in Library & Information Science at the University
of Western Ontario. His primary focus is to work with Institute-funded
researchers and the general public who are interested in researching
issues related to gaming and gambling.
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