In the latest episode of our holistic look at all things addiction, we are joined by the excellent Travis Sztainert, director of research and education at the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG). With Travis, Dr Auer and Jon discuss the organisation's mission to support gambling research and promote responsible gaming practices. Travis emphasises the importance of research integrity, the role of player protection, and the need for effective knowledge mobilisation to ensure that research findings are applied in real-world contexts.

Then we get into the complexities of gambling research, particularly focusing on the shift towards online gambling studies, the ethical considerations in experimental design, and the importance of industry data. The speakers discuss the need for more product-focused research, the challenges of funding in the gambling research sector, and the impact of regulation on gambling behaviour. They also explore emerging trends in gambling research, including the integration of AI and data science, and the necessity of measuring the effectiveness of responsible gaming initiatives.

Choice quotes:

1. "Experimental lab research has its limitations."
2. "Gambling is a dynamic environment."
3. "The future of gambling research is wide open."

Travis Sztainert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-szt/

Addiction: An Hour With Auer is a weekly podcast where hosts Dr Michael Auer – he of the title – and Jon Bruford talk about addiction in all its forms. Not just gambling addiction, they discuss all forms of addiction with experts, academics and researchers from around the world.

Dr Auer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-auer-51a48a/

Jon Bruford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-bruford-84346636/

Podcast homepage: https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/addiction/

Media behemoth homepage: https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/

Other podcasts we do:

https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/the-gambling-files/

https://www.thegamblingfiles.com/dessert-island-discs/