The International Gaming Institute has served as the proud home for a number of grant-funded research projects. These grants not only enhance our knowledge, they also provide vital support for the next generation of researchers. For example, these projects have fully funded dozens of Ph.D.-level, Masters-level, and undergraduate-level research assistantships. If you are a student interested in helping with IGI research projects, please contact Dr. Bo Bernhard, Executive Director.
Major Funded Projects Housed at the IGI
The Greater Toronto Area White Paper Series, 2012
Principal Investigators: Dr. Bo J. Bernhard and Dr. Kahlil Philander. Examined impacts of integrated resort development in the Greater Toronto Area, focusing on economic, social, and psychological impacts. Funding agency: Canadian Gaming Association.
Problem Gambling Treatment and Evaluation: The Nevada Problem Gambling Study, 2007-present
Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Bo J. Bernhard. Leading a research team examining the impacts of all state-funded problem gambling interventions (financial, legal, and psychological) conducted by state-funded agencies. Develops and analyzes a longitudinal database with subject interviews at six month intervals. Funding agency: State of Nevada Health and Human Services. Competitive.
E-health: A Study of Technological Interventions with At-Risk College Students, 2009-present
Co-PI: Dr. Bo J. Bernhard, with Dr. Debi LaPlante (Harvard Medical School). Pioneering research project examining text, telephone, iPhone, internet, and tweeting technologies to develop an integrative technological strategy for college students at risk for a variety of problematic activities (including problem gambling). Funding agency: State of Nevada Health and Human Services and Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. State grant was competitive.
Toward an Understanding of Problem Gambling and Other Behavioral Health Issues among Rural and Urban Multi-Racial/Ethnic Populations, 2007-2008
PI: Dr. Bo J. Bernhard. Teamed with faculty at Harvard Medical School and University of Michigan Department of Psychology to assess problem gambling and mental health among oft-neglected minority populations in the state of Nevada. Funding agency: University of Nevada, Las Vegas Presidential Research Award. Competitive.
Evaluation of a Responsible Gaming Education Program, 2007-2008
Conducted patron and employee surveys at a major casino in Las Vegas to determine awareness of problem gambling training and education programs. Funding agencies: Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders, Division on Addictions, Harvard Medical School (HMS Associate Professor Debi LaPlante, PI) and Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Internet Gambling Study, 2006-2007
PI: Dr. Bo J. Bernhard. Conducted large-scale telephone surveys and qualitative interviews focusing on internet gambling in the state of Nevada. First-ever study of state’s internet gamblers and the social costs associated with this behavior. Funding agency: Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Evaluation of Brief Intervention Approaches for Problem Gamblers, 2006-2007
PI: Dr. Bo J. Bernhard. Conducted research on a low-cost problem gambling intervention using a “toolkit” designed by Harvard Medical School’s Division on Addictions. Study focused on rural and urban locations throughout Nevada. Funding agency: State of Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. Competitive.
Physiological Responses to Gambling Among Female Gamblers, 2005-2006
Co-PI: Dr. Bo J. Bernhard (with Carolyn Yucha, Dean of Nursing, UNLV). Conducted research in UNLV Casino Lab and in a local casino to determine physiological effects of gambling. Funding agency: Center for Excellence in Women’s Health. Competitive.
Responsible Gambling Device Evaluation Project, 2005-2006
PI: Dr. Bo J. Bernhard. Conducted quantitative and qualitative research on the implementation of the first "responsible gaming device," attached to all machines in Nova Scotia, Canada. Funding agency: Techlink Entertainment (for Nova Scotia Gaming Corp, the government regulatory agency).
Eli Lilly Olanzapine Study, 1998-1999
Project Manager: Bo J. Bernhard. Grants awarded by Eli Lilly and NIDA K2319522 to design and implement classic experiment to test efficacy of drug treatment for video poker addiction. NIDA grant was competitive.