Alberta Gaming Research Institute
Recommendations came from the Alberta Lotteries and Gaming Summit ’98 for the government to spend more money on gaming research. The Alberta Gaming Research Institute was established in November 1999 in response to those recommendations. The purpose of the institute, which is a consortium of the Universities of Alberta, Calgary, and Lethbridge, is to sponsor research of gaming-related topics such as the social impacts of gaming, aboriginal gaming issues, and trends in gaming.
The institute supports the collaborative research efforts of faculty researchers, graduate students, visiting scholars, and postdoctoral fellows. The Alberta Gaming Research Council directs most of the Institute’s research activities. Its fourteen members, who represent both the public and government sectors, have been appointed to serve for three years.
For the first three years, $1.5 million per year has been allocated to the institute from the Alberta Lottery Fund. The Alberta government earmarked an additional $3.4 million from the Alberta Lottery Fund for 1999–2000 to go to the Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission (AADAC) to provide support for the prevention of problem gambling, education, and treatment programs.
The Alberta Gaming Research Institute has a web site that provides some basic information, including historical background, the purpose of the institute, its organization, budget, and how it operates. The site also has links that provide access to information about gaming in Alberta, research and education, legislation, various reports, business plans, news releases and updates, and forms.
The Canadian West Foundation
The Canadian West Foundation (CWF) – a nonprofit research institute – was established in 1970 to pursue research and to promote civic education in Canadian public policy. The CWF sponsors conferences on myriad policy issues and has an active publication program. In 1998, the CWF embarked upon a three-year “gambling in Canada” project. They have explored:
(1) the impact of gambling on the nonprofit sector;
(2) opinions, attitudes, and public policy implications of gambling;
(3) the history and scope of gambling in Canada;
(4) the socioeconomic impact of gambling on communities. A series of monographs has been published as a result of the project.
The CWF is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The gambling research project has been directed by Jason J. Azmier and has been supported by researchers including Garry Smith, Harold Wynne, and Colin Campbell.
Australian Institute for Gambling Research
The Australian Institute for Gambling Research (AIGR) is a research center located at the University of Western Sydney (UWS). It is the only independent national center of gambling studies in Australia. The AIGR has an advisory board with representatives from both the community and academia. It has a worldwide reputation for in-depth gaming research, including the areas of policy and social impacts.
The AIGR was established in 1993 with a grant from UWS and was supported through the collaborative efforts of experienced Australian researchers. UWS was instrumental in appointing Australia’s first faculty Chair of Gaming, and in January 1997 Prof. Jan McMillen was named executive director of the AIGR, broadening the research focus of the Institute.
The AIGR has received various research grants from the Australian Research Council as well as Australian and international governments. This has resulted in the publication of articles in scholarly journals, as well as books and research reports. The AIGR is involved in community service and engages community groups in its research programs. AIGR researchers also provide voluntary service to the community.
The Library and Information Services of UWS supports the needs of the AIGR. Its gambling collection has over 1,000 items, including reports, videos, journals, games, books, and newspaper clippings. The AIGR sponsors various annual conferences related to gaming issues.
European Association for the Study of Gambling
The European Association for the Study of Gambling (EASG), located in the Netherlands, strives to improve communication among its members, who represent many different areas of the European gaming industry. It also provides a forum for the study, discussion, and dissemination of knowledge about European gambling issues.
The EASG is concerned with promoting comparative studies of questions regarding: historical, economic, and social impacts of gambling; developmental and regulatory gambling issues; ethical management and marketing of gaming; and pathological gambling issues, including prevention and treatment programs.
EASG membership is open to both individuals and institutions affiliated with the gaming industry, either within or outside Europe, as well as to academic researchers. The association is governed by an executive committee, which includes a chairman and several subordinate officers.
The association’s web site provides some pertinent information about gambling and gaming literature. It also highlights several international gaming conferences and provides links to related web sites.
Lionel, Sawyer, and Collins
Lionel, Sawyer, and Collins, a Las Vegas law firm, is the world’s leading gaming law firm. The firm was founded in 1967 by Samuel Lionel and Grant Sawyer, the retiring governor of the state of Nevada (see Sawyer, Grant). One of their first functions was conducted under the leadership of attorney Robert Faiss. He helped pen significant amendments to the Nevada Gaming Control Act. In subsequent years, the firm continued its assistance in drafting gambling regulatory bills for legislative consideration. The firm has also been the leading sponsor creating the International Gaming Law Association, and attorney Anthony Cabot served as a coeditor of the Gaming Law Review (with Joseph Kelly). No other law firm has published as many law materials on gambling. Cabot is a leader in the publication efforts, having served as the senior coeditor on three editions of International Casino Law. He also has been the author or senior contributor to Nevada Gaming Law, Federal Gaming Law, Legalized Gambling in Nevada, Casino Gaming Policy, Economics and Regulation, and Casino Credit and Collection Law.
Conclusion
As worldwide interest in gaming grows, it is expected that many more institutions will be formed to study, teach about, and manage the industry. Proponents and opponents of gambling will continue to coexist and to debate the social, political, and economic gaming issues. Gaming research education, regulation, and lobbying by gaming organizations will continue.