Brett Abarbanel

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Director of Research, International Gaming Institute

Assistant Professor, William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration

Affiliate Researcher, University of California, Los Angeles Gambling Studies Program

Expertise: Esports & Gambling, Gaming, Gaming Technologies, Tourism, Responsible Gambling

Biography

Brett Abarbanel is director of research at the International Gaming Institute, with an affiliate position at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Gambling Studies Program. She has expertise in global gambling and social science applications, and her research covers Internet gambling policy and behavior, esports and gambling, operations and technology, and responsible gambling and community relations.

Abarbanel serves as co-executive editor of the UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, which publishes internationally relevant gambling research articles representing a broad span of academic disciplines. She has been interviewed as a gambling expert for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Discovery Channel and served as a consultant for multiple industry and government entities around the world.

In 2015, she was honored by the Global Gaming Expo and The Innovation Group with their Emerging Leader Award, and was named to the 2016 Global Gaming Business 40 Under 40 list.

Education

Sc.B., Statistics, Brown University
A.B., Architectural Studies, Brown University
M.S., Hotel Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Ph.D., Hospitality Administration, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

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gaming & gambling

Brett Abarbanel In The News

The gambling industry is seeing historic revenue numbers

Marketplace

May 13, 2022

After a rocky 2020, when lockdowns kept casinos closed or operating under restrictions, the gambling industry has recovered, and then some. Commercial gaming revenue – that includes in-person gambling, online gambling and sports betting – set an all time record in March, taking in more than $5.3 billion, according to the American Gaming Association.

Can A.I. Help Casinos Cut Down on Problem Gambling?

March 25, 2022

The opportunities seem endless. The reality is much more complicated.

Nevada's Esports Technical Advisory Committee's first meeting focuses on integrity

Yogonet

March 3, 2022

Nevada’s Esports Technical Advisory Committee had its first meeting Tuesday, taking its first step toward moving Nevada further into the multimillion-dollar esports industry, debating best practices for its execution in the state.

UNLV: "The Metaverse's potential applications are limited only by the imaginations of entrepreneurs"

Yogonet

February 23, 2022

Technology has been changing the way society operates: from health to entertainment, going through education and even on financial terms, new tools such as artificial intelligence have begun taking over aspects of everyday life.