In this episode, hosts Jon Bruford and Dr. Michael Auer engage with Andrew Kim, a Canada research chair in addictions and mental health comorbidity. They explore the complex relationship between addictions and mental health, focusing on gambling, cannabis, and the role of poverty. The conversation delves into the motivations behind gambling, the impact of social determinants of health, and the need for personalized approaches in treatment and responsible gambling messaging. Andrew shares insights from his clinical experience and research, emphasising the importance of addressing underlying mental health issues in addiction treatment.

Things we discuss, but in a list:

1. Addictions often co-occur with mental health issues.
2. Self-medication hypothesis explains why individuals turn to substances.
3. Cannabis addiction can be psychological, not just physiological.
4. Gambling serves as a coping mechanism for many individuals.
5. Poverty significantly impacts addiction and mental health.
6. Motivations for gambling vary, including escapism and social factors.
7. Responsible gambling tools may not be effective for all individuals.
8. Addiction substitution can occur when one addiction replaces another.
9. Treatment approaches should address both addiction and underlying mental health issues.
10. Advertising influences gambling behavior, especially among younger demographics.

Choice quotes:

1. "No one chooses to become addicted."
2. "You can't CBT poverty away."
3. "You can't really will that away."

Chapters (add a minute or so though, because I glued an ad read and our theme music to the front):

1. 00:00 Introduction to Addiction and Mental Health
2. 02:51 Understanding Addictions and Mental Health Comorbidity
3. 05:58 The Role of Cannabis in Addiction
4. 09:03 Gambling as Escapism and Coping Mechanism
5. 11:52 Motivations Behind Gambling
6. 15:09 The Impact of Poverty on Addiction
7. 17:53 Addiction Substitution and Concurrent Recovery
8. 20:55 Treatment Approaches for Gambling Addiction
9. 23:48 The Interconnectedness of Addictions
10. 27:11 The Role of Social Determinants in Addiction

Hosts Jon Bruford and Dr. Michael Hour engage in a deep conversation with David Hodgins, Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Calgary, about the complexities of gambling, its risks, and the development of lower risk gambling guidelines. We explore the differences between gambling harm and addiction, the profiles of individuals seeking help for gambling issues, and the normalisation of gambling in society. The discussion also touches on responsible gambling measures and the potential for minimising harm through better practices.

This episode is brought to you by Gaming Laboratories International, who we love. For more information, visit gaminglabs.com.

All the things we talk about:

1. Lower risk gambling guidelines are based on extensive research.
2. Gambling harm is distinct from gambling addiction.
3. The guidelines suggest spending less than 1% of gross income on gambling.
4. People generally find the guidelines reasonable and applicable.
5. There is a need for better measures of gambling-related harm.
6. Normalisation of gambling has significant societal consequences.
7. Many individuals want to reduce their gambling but do not seek treatment.
8. Responsible gambling measures are often not used effectively.
9. The gambling industry is concerned about regulations that limit spending.
10. Understanding the motives for gambling is crucial in addressing gambling issues.

Choice quotes:

1. "It's good to be here again, isn't it?"
2. "The normalisation of gambling has consequences."
3. "There's lots of room for us to do better."

Chapters (but you might want to add 75 seconds or so because of the music and the lyrical waxing about GLI, who are terrific):

1. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction
2. 02:43 Lower Risk Gambling Guidelines
3. 10:52 Understanding Gambling Harm vs. Addiction
4. 20:47 Profiles of Gamblers Seeking Help
5. 26:10 The Role of Money in Gambling and Escapism
6. 31:32 Normalization of Gambling in Society
7. 35:01 Responsible Gambling Measures and Their Effectiveness

David Hodgins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hodgins-david-81a2073/

Addiction: An...

In this episode, hosts Jon Bruford and Dr. Michael Auer engage with Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research at the International Gaming Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. We discuss various aspects of gambling, including responsible gambling, prediction tools, and the complexities of regulation. The conversation delves into the challenges of incentivising responsible behaviour, the role of AI in risk detection, and the need for standardised frameworks in the gambling industry. Kasra shares insights from his background in poker and academia, while the hosts explore the implications of gambling behaviour on both a personal and regulatory level.

All the things we talk about:

1. The importance of a national framework for gambling regulation.
2. Incentivizing responsible gambling behavior can be achieved through various means.
3. Prediction tools should be used proactively to prevent gambling issues.
4. The US online gambling market is still developing compared to Europe.
5. Chasing losses is a significant marker of harm in gambling.
6. Algorithmic risk detection needs to be transparent and explainable.
7. Feature engineering in AI may soon be automated.
8. The gambling industry requires standardized terminology for better communication.
9. Understanding player behavior is crucial for effective regulation.
10. The commercialization of gambling can hinder responsible practices.

Choice quotes:

1. "Feature engineering is going to be automated."
2. "The research is constantly evolving."

Chapters (But you should probably add 75 seconds to each one because Jon reads a sponsor message, and we have the music…):

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

03:00 Kasra's Background and Journey to Vegas

06:00 Discussion on Problem Gambling and Player Protection

09:08 The Role of Prediction Tools in Gambling

12:05 Incentivising Responsible Gambling Behavior

14:58 Challenges in Gambling Regulation and Data Collection

18:01 The Importance of Market Understanding in Gambling

21:14 Revenue Distribution in Gambling and Its Implications

24:00 Public Health Approaches to Gambling Regulation

26:56 Algorithmic Risk Detection in Gambling

29:53 Benchmarking in AI for Gambling Risk Detection

33:00 Challenges in Data Labeling and Algorithm Training

35:51 The Future of Automated Machine Learning in Gambling

39:10 The Need for Explainability in Gambling Algorithms

42:00 The Role of Regulation in Gambling Algorithms

44:52 Innovative Approaches to Risk Detection

47:59 Chasing Losses as a Marker of Harm

50:55 The Complexity of Gambling Behavior Analysis

53:57 Commercialisation vs. Regulation in Gambling

57:06 Conclusion and Future Directions

Kasra Ghaharian on LinkedIn: