Project Lead: Dr. Shane Kraus, UNLV

Sponsors: Playtech & DraftKings

Project Aim: The goal of the 50x4Vets program is to address the lack of research and increase the rate of research on treatment for veterans with gambling disorder by 50-times in the next 4 years.

Center Aim: The goal of the Center is to conduct foundational research on the treatment population utilizing the LVR3 and to design and test treatment modalities in a real-world setting. Specifically, the Center and LVR3 will evaluate the effectiveness of novel clinical treatments (e.g., psychoeducation, pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy) for gambling disorder among US active duty personnel and veterans.

The Center will also collaborate and share knowledge with the Ohio Center. Furthermore, the Center will serve as a leading training institution for psychologists and researchers who wish to gain advanced training in gambling disorder for military populations.

Current Progress: The UNLV center opened in the second half of 2022. During that time, Dr. Kraus hired staff and graduate students, set up protocols for data collection with the Las Vegas VA Residential Recovery and Renewal Center (LVR3), and published and disseminated research on gambling disorder among veterans around the country. 

Highlights include a presentation at the annual conference for the International Center of Responsible Gaming, two student-led posters presented at the annual conference for the International Center of Responsible Gaming, and several additional publications and talks that were supported by the grant from Kindbridge Research Institute.