Global Experts Converge in Las Vegas for 19th International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking
Story by:
Debbie Hall
The 19th International Conference on Gambling & Risk Taking will bring together leading researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals for a deep dive into the evolving dynamics of gambling, gaming, and risk behavior. Hosted by the UNLV International Gaming Institute, the event will showcase cutting-edge academic presentations alongside thought-provoking discussions on some of the industry’s most pressing topics.
The conference will take place at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino from May 26-28, featuring Anette “Peko” Hosoi from MIT as a keynote speaker who will discuss the role of skill versus luck in wagering on sporting events. Professionals from diverse fields, including Law, Sociology, Economics, Education, and Government, will gather at this conference. Attendees will be able to choose from numerous programs offered that will be focused on their field of expertise/interests and provide information about areas including, but not limited to, artificial intelligence in gambling, responsible gaming practices in the US, and how regulation imposes barriers on the US gaming industry; in addition to learning more about how these same issues affect their respective fields. Because a wide variety of professions will be represented at this conference, attendees will find information relevant to their respective fields.
“I’m particularly excited about the diversity of subjects with a distinct focus on particular perspectives. We are offering everything from problem gambling addiction to sessions with mathematicians who have created new games or found ways to beat the system. All of these roles contribute to our gaming world in different ways, and bringing them together at this conference really benefits all the other attendees,” explained Dr. Brett Abarbanel, executive director of the UNLV International Gaming Institute.
Abarbanel grew up near a large horse racetrack and worked there during the summer while attending college, earning a degree in statistics and her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She has also played poker, and her husband is a professional poker player. “Gambling as my academic pursuit has been present now for almost 20 years,” she said.
The UNLV International Gaming Institute will host the conference, and the main goal is to take a holistic look at gambling across product verticals and regions.
“We don’t want to be a place where it’s just too uncomfortable to have some of the uncomfortable situations. It’s a place where we can discuss some of the more unusual topics that wouldn’t fit well at an industry conference or general assembly. That means the industry gets some great ideas for how it will move forward. Academics get new research ideas or maybe a new idea for a class that might be taught at their respective university or college, or clinicians come to learn more, which counts toward some of the CEUs they need for their certifications every year. All those different elements are present to be a place where it happens,” added Abarbanel.
Presentations include the following, with more to be announced:
Tuesday, May 26
- Real-Time AI for Predictive Responsible Gambling Using Live Wagering Transaction Data featuring Earle Hall, president and CEO of AXES.ai.
- Why Courts and Congress Should but Won’t Outlaw Prediction Markets will be featuring I. Nelson Rose, professor emeritus at Whittier College.
- The 1,500-foot Wall: Barriers between Cannabis and Gaming in Nevada and the Potential for Integration, featuring Riana Durrett, executive director of the UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute, and Robin Goldstein, director of the UC Davis Cannabis Economics Group.
- Wednesday, May 27
- Risk Governance in Esports Gambling: Addressing Integrity and Regulation in a Rapidly Evolving Ecosystem with Professors Tobias Scholz, Rune Andersen, Joseph Macey, and Nepomuk Nothelfer of the University of Agder.
- An In-Depth Analysis of Slot Machine Vlogs on YouTube featuring Tiange Xu, postdoctoral researcher at UNLV.
- Thursday, May 28
- Beat the Sportsbook: The Theory and Practice of Successful Sports Betting with Robert Scott, professor and endowed chair at Monmouth University, and Mikhail Sher.
- Math, Data, and Cognitive Bias: Educating Teens to Make Informed Decisions About Gambling with Arty Smith, founder of the Gambling Awareness Initiative.
With its balance of academic rigor and practical application, the conference continues to provide an effective environment for developing research and facilitating discussion at the intersection of gaming innovation and risk analysis.
Official programming, speakers, and schedules are available by clicking here and will be updated regularly.
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