New gambling research center opened in Canada

Established with US$ 2 million in funding from the B.C. government and the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the Center will operate with complete academic independence from BCLC, the government and the gambling industry. “The government is committed to responsible gambling in British Columbia,” said Finance Minister Michael de Jong. “The Center for Gambling Research at UBC is a major new and independent initiative focused on problem gambling. I am confident that the research it produces will have far-reaching benefits both in B.C. and globally.” “UBC is a leading research facility and one of Canada’s top-ranking universities,” said Andrew Wilkinson, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services. 

“The Centre for Gambling Research will add to UBC’s and British Columbia’s reputation as a place where innovative, cutting edge research is conducted.” “This facility will transform gambling research in British Columbia,” says Luke Clark, the Center’s inaugural Director. “Our work will help us better understand the psychology of gambling games and problem gambling, which will bolster UBC’s strengths in addictions research and ultimately result in healthier communities.” Center highlights include a “casino lab,” which hosts slot machines and other games, to measure players’ behavioral and physiological responses under controlled conditions.

With these tools, Clark’s team will study the motivations and mindsets that lead to problem gambling. The Center’s approach includes measuring heart rates and scanning brain responses in conjunction with the UBC MRI Research Center. Other collaborations and partnerships are planned at UBC and throughout the province. Upcoming research projects include in-person interviews with gamblers at Lower Mainland casinos, and recruiting problem gamblers to aid the Centre’s study of decision-making. Luke Clark, Director of Center for Gambling Research, came to UBC in 2014 from the University of Cambridge, where he led the U.K’s largest study of pathological gamblers. His latest paper, which explores the reclassification of “gambling disorder” as part of the guidelines for psychiatric diagnosis, was published in October 2014 in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 

The Center adds to UBC’s internationally recognized expertise in addictions research, including pioneering projects on drug and alcohol addictions. The funding received to establish the Center is part of UBC’s start an evolution campaign, Canada’s most ambitious fund-raising and alumni engagement campaign, which has raised more than $1.4 billion to date.