UNews - Robert Williams

AGRI researchers find gambling and problem gambling on the decline, yet troubling numbers still exist

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 19:18:02 +0000

Despite more gambling options being available to Canadians, the prevalence of gambling and problem gambling is on the decline throughout the country according to recent Statistics Canada data from the 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey. A recent study out of the Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI) indicates that while these numbers are positive overall, troubling trends still exist.

Dr. Robert Williams says gambling is still quite prevalent, with about 66.2 per cent of the adult population engaging in one or more types of gambling in 2018.

In their study, Gambling and Problem Gambling in Canada in 2018: Prevalence and Changes Since 2002, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Dr. Robert Williams and colleagues, including fellow U of L researchers Rhys Stevens and Drs. Yale Belanger, Carrie Leonard and Darren Christensen, observed a 45 per cent decrease in the overall presence of problem gambling from 2002 through 2018.

“We looked to provide an updated profile of gambling and problem gambling in Canada in 2018 and examine how this profile compares to 2002, the last time gambling and problem gambling had been comprehensively assessed on a national basis,” says Williams. “The relative popularity of the different types of gambling in Canada in 2018 is very similar to 2002 with the main difference being decreased gambling participation in 2018.”

Williams says this is particularly true for electronic gambling machines (EGMs), which saw a 46 per cent participation decrease, and bingo, a 53 per cent decline. In fact, almost all types of gambling except casino table games saw a significant decrease in participation. He speculates the increased popularity of poker drove the enhanced table game numbers. And while online gambling numbers increased, it is still uncommon relative to in-person participation.

“The overall decrease in gambling participation is something that has occurred in most western countries since the early 2000s,” adds Williams. “The overriding thought as to why that’s occurring is due to the novelty having worn off and more people becoming aware of the potential harms of gambling.”

Gambling is still quite prevalent, with about 66.2 per cent of the adult population engaging in one or more types of gambling in 2018. However, the majority of that participation is through the purchase of lottery and raffle tickets.

The intensity of gambling involvement among gamblers is also low, with the large majority only gambling occasionally and engaging in just one or two different types. This pattern is also very similar across provinces.

“One anomaly we did discover is some significant interprovincial variation, with perhaps the most important one being a higher rate of EGM participation in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan,” says Williams.

Overall, Williams says the current level of problem gambling in Canada, despite the expansion of legal gambling opportunities, is among the lowest that has been reported worldwide. There are some troubling numbers though, as commercial gambling revenue per adult has not changed significantly from 2002 to 2018, indicating that revenue per gambler has increased.

“We know that gambling revenue is disproportionately derived from problem gamblers, so these numbers could indicate the expenditure per problem gambler has increased over the years,” he says. “Thus, the lifetime prevalence of problem gambling continues to increase steadily, and, as these gamblers age, marry and have children, there is a much higher prevalence of people who have been harmed by gambling.”

Drs. David Hodgins (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary), Daniel McGrath (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary), Fiona Nicoll (��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta) and Nady el-Guebaly (MD, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary) also participated in the study.

This study is part of the AGRI National Project, which is a comprehensive investigation of gambling and problem gambling in Canada, jointly funded by AGRI, the Canadian Consortium for Gambling Research, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, and Gambling Research Exchange Ontario. The main results of this national investigation will be profiled at AGRI’s upcoming virtual conference (Apr. 27-29, 2021).

Christensen appointed AGRI Chair in Gambling

trevor.kenney — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 21:19:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is adding to its capacity as an internationally reputed centre for the study of gambling and addictions following the appointment of Dr. Darren R. Christensen as the Alberta Gambling Research Institute’s (AGRI) Chair in Gambling at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

Dr. Darren Christensen has studied gambling and addictions in a number of different countries and settings.

The five-year appointment, which saw Christensen arrive on campus January 10, 2014, adds another accomplished researcher with a global perspective to the fold.

“There were a variety of reasons for coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, the main being that the U of L has two of the more prominent gambling researchers in the world in Dr. Robert Williams and Dr. Robert Wood,” says Christensen, a native of New Zealand who most recently was a research fellow at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Melbourne’s Problem Gambling Research and Treatment Centre in Australia.

“They are very well known in the research community and this was an opportunity to work with and learn from people who are among the best in the world at what they do.”

The Alberta Gambling Research Institute, established in 1999 and funded by the Government of Alberta, is a consortium of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. Its primary purpose is to support and promote research into gambling in the province. Each member institution will appoint an AGRI Chair.

"The U of L continues to be a destination of choice for leading researchers, in large part due to the excellent faculty we already have in place,” says Dr. Dan Weeks, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s vice-president (research). “Dr. Christensen is an example of this and adds even greater strength to the established gambling-related research programs currently running at the U of L. He also provides our students with a unique international perspective that can only serve to enhance their studies."

Born and raised in New Zealand, Christensen earned his bachelor of business studies in Human Resource Management from Massey ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ before going on to earn his master’s and PhD designations in psychology from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Canterbury.

Christensen has studied gambling and addiction in a number of countries and settings, including a two-year post-doctoral study in Arkansas where he worked at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ Center for Addiction Research. He has recently studied contingency management treatment methods that use positive and/or negative outcomes to change the frequency of future behaviours as a treatment for substance abuse.

“Gambling is closer to substance abuse than people realize,” he says. “I look at gambling and substance abuse as all a part of human decision making. Where once it was thought of as an impulse control disorder, it is now recognized as a behavioural addiction.”

He sees the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as fertile ground for his research ambitions.

“I intend to start with a fairly broad research plan, looking at the basic science of addiction,” he says. “What is exciting is that there are so many collaborative opportunities here it allows me the chance to work with behavioural neuroscientists, addictions counselors and public health practitioners, among others. Studying gambling and other addictive behaviours from these different yet complimentary perspectives creates the opportunity for some real insight.”

Honouring long service

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 21:24:26 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ held its annual Long Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Ceremony recently, honouring 116 employees who have completed 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service. A total of 23 retiring employees were also honoured.

Following is a list of honoured employees.

RETIREES

Art Aitken, Dayna Daniels, Richard Epp, Rex Forsyth, Eldon Gardner, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Joan Kendall, Leslie Lavers, Lucie Linhart, Gerald McConaghy, Linda McLeod, Ken Nicol, Seamus O'Shea, Doug Parker, Ramrattie Ramtej, Donna Seyed Mahmoud, Ches Skinner, Philippe Teillet, Linda Van Esch, Wendy Vogel, Nick Wade and Ian Wells

LONG SERVICE RECIPIENTS

40 Years | Maria Draper

35 Years | Chris Charles, Bryan Kolb, Peter McCormick and Gerda VanderFluit

30 Years | Jane Allan, Cheryl Calver, Dayna Daniels, Gayle Durand, Rex Forsyth, Laurel Hamilton, Jay Johnston, Linda Kucheran, Greg Martin, David Naylor, Shari Platt and Leanne Wehlage-Ellis

25 Years | Shamsul Alam, Lana Barton, Bryson Brown, Cathy Campbell, Patricia Chuchryk, Leslie Gatner, Allan Gergel, Nancy Grigg, Tyler Hayward, Mary Anne Hellinga, Wolfgang Holzmann, Bill Hudgins, Margaret Joblonkay, Kas Mazurek, Alice Miller, Richard Mrazek, Thomas Robinson, Doug Ross, Jadranka Smiljanec, Brian Sullivan, Richard Tedesco, David Townsend, Sandy Wiest and Joan Zimmer

20 Years | Patti-Jo Aiken, Linda Anderson, Roberto Aragon-Garcia, Jochen Bocksnick, Carl Budny, James Byrne, Peter Dibble, Deborah Grant, Bill Halma, Andrew Hurly, Janet Macdonald, Karen McCallum, Louise Miller, Al Mueller, Claudia Notzke, Sergio Pellis, Dwayne Pepin, Vern Peterson, Maria Quinteros, Kathy Schrage, Colleen Sullivan, Brian Titley, Donna Townley and Mark Walton

15 Years | Doug Berry, James Dobbie, Jackie Edwards, Lance Grigg,
Michelle Hogue, Marie Matkin, Ian McAdam, Gerald McConaghy, Chris Moroz, Jeff Oliver, Derek Peddle, Michael Perry, John Poulsen, William Ramp, Keith Roscoe, Elizabeth Schultz, Ivan Townshend and Kenneth Vos

10 Years | Louise Arsenault, Stella Baah, Brenda Bell, Donald Birchfield, Ryan Buckman, Jill Cassidy, Lorena deLange, Christopher Epplett, Margaret Forgie, Don Gill, Bill Glaister, Val Hill, Patricia Horrocks, Nancy Hosgood, Frank Huss, Deborah Jarvie, Helen Kelley, Carol Knibbs, Keith Knowles, Josh Korthuis, Christopher Kukucha, Greg Lacey, Corie Lazenby, Wayne Lippa, Karen Mahar, Jeremiah Merkl, Josephine Mills, Joy Morris, Chris Nicol, Chris Picken, Jeremy Pierson, Mike Pinder, Catharine Reader, Michael Robinson, Victor Rodych, Tammy Rogness, Mark Sabo, Robin Schafthuizen, Shelley Scott, Behnam Seyed Mahmoud, Gerry Ste. Marie, Robert Sutherland, William Tietz, Raquel Trillia, John von Heyking, Kevin Ward, Katherine Wasiak, Robert Williams, Barbara Williams, Jim Wishloff, Robert Wood and Jing Zhu

To view the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Few gamblers cause majority of problems

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:37:41 +0000

A small percentage of individuals account for the large majority of issues surrounding gambling in the province of Alberta.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Department of Native American Studies concluded in a recent study that only 10 per cent of gamblers account for 80 per cent of all provincial gambling revenues.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ sifted through more than 40 years of information, data and reports and then conducted their own in-depth research to determine the long-term effects of gambling in the province. Their study suggests that the not-for-profit groups and community organizations that raise money through gambling get minor economic benefits but also endure minor economic costs.

Roughly $2.5 billion annually is taken into government coffers through gambling and dispensed to charitable groups through various agencies and government ministries.

Not surprisingly, the researchers also found that there are major challenges in the form of problem gambling.

"A small percentage of individuals are responsible for a majority of the issues surrounding gambling in general — and their actions directly or indirectly affect eight to 10 per cent of the province's population," says Dr. Robert Williams, one of the study's authors. "That's more than 300,000 people. Of that population, we estimate that 10 per cent of gamblers contribute 80 per cent of all provincial gambling revenues. These people can be involved in problem gambling to a point where they are affected by bankruptcy, divorce, unemployment, crime and, tragically, suicide."

Williams says gambling appears to be an important contributor to overall bankruptcy and suicide rates in the province.

"The challenge is that despite a number of controls and programs, and well-regulated legalized gambling which has significantly decreased non-regulated illegal gambling, the bottom line is that a small percentage of problem gamblers are responsible for the majority of health, social and criminal problems associated with gambling."

The researchers also confirmed that the legal availability of gambling is only partly responsible for the prevalence of problem gambling, which existed to some extent prior to the introduction of legalized gambling.

"The relationship between legal gambling availability and problem gambling prevalence in Alberta is weak," says Jennifer Arthur, a Health Sciences masters degree candidate and project manager.

"We found that problem gambling is only partly responsible for these serious consequences, because the people involved had other conditions such as alcohol or drug dependency that were triggered by the availability of gambling. What we really want to draw attention to is, in addition to the percentage of gamblers who have significant personal and social problems, the ethical challenge of government and charity gambling revenue being derived from a very small percentage of the population which includes a disproportionate percentage of problem gamblers."

The news, however, is not all bad, as gambling does provide its benefits, particularly to First Nations communities.

"We found that gambling has provided an additional leisure option that is fairly well patronized, and legalized gambling also appears to provide minor employment benefits," says Dr. Yale Belanger, a Native American Studies researcher and a co-author of the report.

"The main economic benefits concern the fact that gambling appears to create additional economic activity without any obvious negative impacts on other businesses, and gambling leads to a very small increase in the value of infrastructure such as buildings and roads, for instance."

Belanger adds that, at a community level, there are significant economic benefits to First Nations communities that host casinos, because of their ability to retain a large part of the revenue.

"We estimate that First Nations in 2009-2010, through their charities and the First Nations Development Fund, had access to more than $158 million for local programming, economic development and infrastructure projects, to name a few areas this money can be used for."

The three-year study was funded by the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, at a cost of $685,000. In addition to Williams, Belanger and Arthur, 10 students were employed while conducting the research.

Wood, Hosgood appointments ratified

trevor.kenney — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 20:59:38 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors recently ratified the appointment of Dr. Robert Wood as the dean of the School of Graduate Studies and the re-appointment of Dr. Christopher Hosgood as the dean of the Faculty of Heath Sciences.

Hosgood, an historian, former associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and a U of L faculty member since 1988, begins his second term as dean of Health Sciences. He presided over the transition of the Faculty from a School, the expansion of both student enrolments and Faculty programs, and a recent move into Markin Hall.

His main research interests deal with consumerism and shopping in Victorian Britain. He has recently been involved in research projects on, among other topics, the social history of gambling in Alberta.

Wood, a sociology researcher and faculty member since 2000, had served as the interim head of Graduate Studies since July 2010. He is the author or co-author of two books and numerous research articles on gambling issues, and has recently produced a unique educational program on gambling reduction strategies for children.

Wood recently produced a unique educational program on gambling reduction strategies for children with colleague Dr. Robert Williams (addictions counselling).

Wood to take over interim SGS role

trevor.kenney — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:07:59 +0000

Dr. Robert Wood (Department of Sociology) will serve as the interim head of the School of Graduate Studies while the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ conducts a search for a permanent replacement for Dr. Jo-Anne Fiske.

Wood takes on the interim role, effective July 1, following Fiske, who resigned in May after a five-year term as dean.

"Dr. Fiske is stepping down for health-related reasons and will be commencing an administrative leave prior to returning to a faculty position within the women's studies department," says Dr. Andy Hakin, vice-president and provost.

"I would like to thank Dr. Fiske for her stewardship of the School of Graduate Studies and I wish her much success in her future endeavours."

Wood studies problem gambling in adults and youth and, among other topics, several types of youth subculture.

He is the author or co-author of two books and numerous research articles on gambling issues, and has recently produced a unique educational program on gambling reduction strategies for children with colleague Dr. Robert Williams (Faculty of Health Sciences, addictions counselling).

Wood joined the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty in 2000 and is currently an associate professor of sociology. Hakin says a national search for the position of dean of Graduate Studies has been initiated, with the goal of making an appointment to commence January 1, 2011 or, at the latest, July 1, 2011.

"I am very pleased that (Dr. Wood) has chosen to take on the role of interim head of the School of Graduate Studies, and look forward to his leadership as we move the school through this time of transition," says Hakin. "Our community has identified the growth of graduate opportunities at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge as a key strategic direction within the 2009-13 Strategic Plan and we are not losing sight of that important decision."

Hakin adds that with Wood's interim appointment, and a new administrative structure in place that involves a number of faculty members from all areas of campus to guide the School of Graduate studies in an advisory capacity, the daily and future operations of SGS are assured while a search begins for a new dean.

2010 faculty research awards

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:36:52 +0000

External SSHRC Grants
(Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)

Paul Vasey and Martin Lalumiere (Aid to Research Workshops and Conferences in Canada) $23,663
Claudia Malacrida is a co-applicant on a $1 million CURA through the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta

Independent Foundational Grants

Fangfang Li $4,800
Duane Rockerbie $4,000
Ed Wasiak $3,000
David Gregory $11,780
Malla Stavroula $11,500

CREDO Applications
(Community of Research Excellence Development Opportunities)

Kiki Benzon
Robin Bright
Lynn Kennedy
Kevin McGeough
Janice Newberry
Claudia Steinke/Helen Kelley
Wei Xu

CIHR
(Canadian Institutes of Health Research)

Ute Kothe
Igor Kovalchuk
Gerlinde Metz
Paul Vasey
H.-J. Wieden
Kelley Williams-Whitt

AGRI
(Alberta Gaming Research Institute)

Noella Piquette-Tomei, $10,000
Robert Williams, $44,000

Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions
(formerly AHFMR)

Igor Kovalchuk

ARDN
(Alberta Rural Development Network)

Noella Piquette Tomei
Steve Ferzacca

NIH
(National Institutes of Health)

Bruce McNaughton (2 grants awarded by NIH to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Arizona were successfully transferred to the U of L)

Alberta Cancer Research Institute

Roy Golsteyn

Sport Science Association of Alberta

Jennifer Copeland

Alberta Family Wellness Initiative
(Norlien Foundation)

Noella Piquette-Tomei

NSERC CREATE Grant

Phil Teillet, Physics $1.5 Million over 6 years

NSERC Discovery Grants
(Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada)

Robert Laird, Biological Sciences (Developing and testing the evolutionary reliability theory of senescence) $24,000
Rene Boere, Chemistry & Biochemistry (Redox-generated free radicals: basic science to nanomaterials) $40,000
Paul Hayes, Chemistry & Biochemistry (Organometallic complexes of new pincer ligands: Structure, reactivity and catalysis) $61,000
Steven Mosimann, Chemistry & Biochemistry (Structure and function of PTP like inositol polyphosphatases) $31,000
Nathan Ng, Mathematics & Computer Science (Prime numbers and L-functions) $15,000
Aaron Gruber, Neuroscience (Dopamine modulation of neural dynamics and behavioral flexibility) $27,000
Brian Kolb, Neuroscience (Brain plasticity and behaviour) $105,000
Artur Luczak, Neuroscience (Neuronal population patterns - studying interactions among hundreds of neurons) $26,000
Deborah Saucier, Neuroscience (Neural and hormonal bases of sex differences in spatial ability) $42,000)
Masami Tatsuno, Neuroscience (Quiescent dependent memory consolidation: memory-trace replay during REM sleep) $23,000
David Euston, Psychology (Neural mechanisms of decision making in frontal cortex) $23,000
Martin Lalumiere, Psychology (The nature and functions of genital sexual arousal) $27,000
Paul Vasey, Psychology (The comparative biopsychology of non-conceptive sexuality) $30,000

NSERC Equipment Grants

Aaron Gruber, Neuroscience $96,373
Rene Boere, Chemistry $22,024

* We are unable to post SSHRC winners at this time as SSHRC has not officially announced its award recipients. They will be published once they are made available.

UNews - Robert Williams

AGRI researchers find gambling and problem gambling on the decline, yet troubling numbers still exist

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Christensen appointed AGRI Chair in Gambling

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Honouring long service

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Few gamblers cause majority of problems

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Wood, Hosgood appointments ratified

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Wood to take over interim SGS role

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2010 faculty research awards

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