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Stop Predatory Gambling National Conference: "Why Predatory Gambling is America's Most-Neglected Major Problem"
While the gambling industry and its allies further tighten their stranglehold over state legislatures from coast to coast as dangerous and deceptive gambling ads saturate the airwaves, social media, and pro and college sports arenas, you're invited to join several of the world's most-respected experts who will gather with leaders and other concerned citizens to spotlight "Why Predatory Gambling is America's Most-Neglected Major Problem" at a historic national conference in Arlington, VA just outside Washington, DC. beginning on Friday, April 28th and ending Saturday, April 29th.
Space is limited so don't wait to register. You can register for the event by clicking the red button below and you can reserve a hotel room at a special discounted rate down below. Members of the media are eligible for free admission to the conference by emailing us at mail@stoppredatorygambling.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Dr. Natasha Schüll, the nation's leading authority on the effect that gambling industry technology and design tactics have on people. Dr. Schull is a cultural anthropologist and associate professor in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. Her work explores the psychic life of technology with a focus on themes of addiction, anxiety, and affect modulation. Her 2012 book, ADDICTION BY DESIGN: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas (Princeton University Press 2012), parses the intimate relationship between the experience of gambling addiction and casino industry design tactics, showing how architectural, atmospheric, ergonomic, audiovisual, and algorithmic-computational techniques are marshaled to suspend -- and monetize -- gamblers’ attention. Schüll’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, among other sources. Her work has been featured in such national media venues as 60 Minutes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, National Public Radio, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The Financial Times.
- Matt Zarb-Cousin, one of the world's most influential and effective gambling reformers and leader of the United Kingdom's Clean Up Gambling, a not for profit pressure group campaigning for reform of online gambling in Britain. In addition to his work as director of Clean Up Gambling in the UK, Matt is a co-founder of Gamban, device level blocking software for gambling sites and apps. Previously he was spokesperson for the Campaign for Fairer Gambling, which lobbied successfully for a reduction in the maximum stake on ‘Fixed Odds Betting Terminals’ (betting shop gambling machines) from £100 to £2 a spin. Matt was also spokesperson for the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons, the popularly elected legislative body of the bicameral British Parliament, in 2016-2017.
- Liz Ritchie is Co-Founder of the advocacy organization Gambling With Lives in the United Kingdom, a major driver behind the expanding campaign for gambling reform in the UK. She is a retired psychotherapist who worked in Britain's National Health Service for many years. She co-founded GWL with her husband Charles after their son Jack took his life in 2017.
- Charles Ritchie co-founded the advocacy organization Gambling With Lives in the United Kingdom, a major driver behind the expanding campaign for gambling reform in the UK. Charles co-founded GWL in 2018 with his wife Liz after their son Jack took his life seven years after starting gambling while still at school. Charles has a strong research background, having been Head of Higher Education Research in Britain's Civil Service.
- Dr. Lucy Dadayan, a principal research associate with the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center at the Urban Institute, where she is leading the State Tax and Economic Review project. She has conducted research and wrote extensively on state and local government fiscal issues, including gambling tax revenue. She was a principal author behind the major national report on government revenues from gambling "State Revenues From Gambling: Short-Term Relief, Long-Term Disappointment" published by The Nelson Rockefeller Institute of Government, the public policy research arm of the State University of New York.
- Ben Hires, Chief Executive Officer of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC). The gambling industry has a long history of targeting Asian Americans with predatory business practices that have caused life-changing financial and public health harm. Ben was part of the team that helped produce the ground-breaking report "Unpacking the Root Causes of Gambling in the Asian Community: Contesting the Myth of the Asian Gambling Culture" published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health in November 2022.
- Professor Dr. John Kindt, Professor Emeritus of Business and Legal Policy at the University of Illinois and one of America’s most distinguished and respected scholars on the economic consequences of commercialized gambling. He recently led the University of Illinois Law Review symposium on commercialized gambling which published nine must-read articles by some of the nation's best legal scholars and attorneys.
- Dr. Jonathan Krutz, Emeritus Professor of the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University. He has studied gambling policy issues and provided expert testimony for policy makers for more than 25 years. His most recent research is titled "Do Casinos Create Economic Development? A 15-Year National Analysis of Local Retail Sales and Employment Growth" and you can read it here.
- Andrew Shaffer, a successful software developer who became a highly-skilled and passionate community leader as a member of "Say No to the Nittany Mall Casino!" The strong citizens group opposed the construction of a local casino in State College, Pennsylvania, one of the biggest college towns in America as the site of Penn State University.
- John Sowinski, a highly-respected and well-known communications expert and political strategist in the state of Florida. He is the founding partner of Consensus, a strategic communications firm, with more than 20 years experience in public policy, media relations, message development, and paid media management. One of his most influential roles has been his leadership of No Casinos Florida during that time where he has been a key figure in effectively curbing efforts to expand predatory gambling in the state.
- Yoyo Yau, Chief Program Officer at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center and an adjunct professor at Lesley University. The gambling industry has a long history of targeting Asian Americans with predatory business practices that have caused life-changing financial and public health harm. Yoyo was part of the team that helped produce the ground-breaking report "Unpacking the Root Causes of Gambling in the Asian Community: Contesting the Myth of the Asian Gambling Culture" published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health in November 2022. Yoyo is also licensed mental health counselor with a background in early intervention, mental health counseling, gambling addiction counseling, and brain injury recovery.
Top 5 Reasons to Attend the National Conference:
1) You'll learn the best and most up-to-date information about why predatory gambling is America's most-neglected major problem and how to help the 40 million Americans experiencing harm caused by the greed of big gambling operators. Topic areas to be discussed include:
- As advertising for online gambling saturates the airwaves and social media, learn how the online gambling sector actually works including a close look at how operators abuse the data they collect from citizens, the operators' extractive business model, and the predatory marketing they use to find and hook new gamblers as their main revenue drivers are constantly going broke.
- How citizens with the lived experience of predatory gambling can help bring about real change in America.
- What comes after the gambling industry's so-called "Responsible Gambling" scheme? How does a genuine public health approach differ from "responsible gambling"? What does it mean for public policy? How we can shift the focus of federal and state officials onto that terrain?
- How citizens got gambling reform onto the agenda in the United Kingdom, the similarities and the differences between the fights in the UK and the US, and some of the major gambling reform proposals under consideration in the UK.
- An in-depth look at "What is Predatory Gambling?" including recommendations on how to best communicate in the public square about what we believe is America's most-neglected major problem.
- How the gambling industry is now forcing "minicasinos" into small-to-midsize communities across the country.
2) You get an opportunity to plan strategy, share stories, and build new friendships (while renewing old ones) with other leaders and concerned citizens from across the nation fighting against predatory gambling in their communities and states.
3) If you or someone you love has the lived experience of gambling, you can help work to protect others from going through the same kind of human suffering in the future.
4) You'll sharpen your skills to become a more influential and effective advocate to stop predatory gambling in your community and state.
5) You'll meet and talk with some of the nation’s (and world's) leading voices against predatory gambling.
Who Should Attend:
The list includes: citizens with the lived experience of gambling and their families; non-profit leaders and their colleagues; members of the media; concerned citizens; federal, state, and local elected officials; congressional and state legislative staff members; addiction treatment counselors; public health officials and researchers; anti-poverty advocates; faith community leaders.
Lodging and Food Details:
We have worked very hard to keep the cost as inexpensive as possible. Your registration fee of $249 includes access to all events as well as dinner on Thursday night, April 27th, lunch and dinner on Friday the 28th, lunch on Saturday the 29th, and refreshments in the morning and afternoon during the event. A breakfast buffet for two people is included with all hotel stays so all meals are covered for conference attendees.
We received a special discount rate at the Holiday Inn Arlington of $189 per night (plus taxes) if you book a room by Monday, April 3rd. After that date, the hotel releases our block of rooms and attendees will have to pay the market rate which is considerably higher at that time of year. To book your hotel room at the group rate, you must use this Holiday Inn booking link. Once clicked, the group code will already be applied. Just enter the dates of your stay and the discounted price will pop up.
Best Travel Options to Washington, DC:
The conference hotel is only a 5-minute walk from the Ballston-MU Metro station so you will not need a car unless you want one. Ballston-MU Station serves both the Orange Line and the Silver Line.
By Air:
There are three airports that serve the D.C. region. The closest one to the conference is Washington National (DCA). It's about a 30-minute Metro ride to the hotel (take the Blue Line to Rossyln, switch to Orange Line, take it Ballston.) The second closest is Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) which is about a 50-minute Metro ride on the Silver Line. Lastly, Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) has a commuter train line to Washington's Union Station (MARC Train Penn LIne) and then take a 40-minute Metro ride to the hotel (Red Line to Metro Center, switch to Silver Line, take it to Ballston.)
By Train:
Amtrak stops at Washington's Union Station and then take a 40-minute Metro ride to the hotel (Red Line to Metro Center, switch to Silver Line, take it to Ballston.)
By Car:
If you plan to drive to the hotel, parking is free.
A Very Special Thank You to Our Event Sponsors:
We want to thank our newest conference sponsor, Grey 2k USA Worldwide, for their generous support to help make this conference happen. Grey 2k works to pass stronger greyhound protection laws and end the cruelty of dog racing on both national and international levels.
What Else You Can Do When You're in Washington, DC Before or After the Conference:
The Holiday Inn Arlington offers these suggestions on its website.
Questions? Need More Info?
If you have any questions about registration, making travel arrangements, or anything else please email our Director of Special Projects Jon-Pierre Micucci: jon-pierre@stoppredatorygambling.org or call (202) 567-6996. As we get closer to the event, please check our website for updates on the schedule and speakers. We will also be emailing all those who register with updated details.
Special thanks to GREY2K USA Worldwide for helping to sponsor the event.
D E T A I L S
DATE AND LOCATION
Holiday Inn Arlington in Arlington, VA just outside Washington, DC. beginning on Friday morning, April 28th at 8:30am through Saturday, April 29th ending about 1:30pm. For those who arrive early enough the day before on Thursday, April 27th, we will all meet for dinner at the hotel beginning about 6 PM which is included in the registration fee. Space is limited so don't wait to register.
LODGING
We received a special discount rate at the Holiday Inn Arlington of $189 per night (plus taxes) if you book a room by Monday, April 3rd. After that date, releases our block of rooms and attendees will have to pay the market rate which is considerably higher at that time of year. To book your hotel room at the group rate, you must use this Holiday Inn booking link. Once clicked, the group code will already be applied. Just enter the dates of your stay and the discounted price will pop up.
MAKE A GIFT TO HELP REVEAL THE TRUTH
By choosing to support Stop Predatory Gambling with your tax-deductible donation today, you’re taking an active role to help the 40 million Americans experiencing harm caused by the greed of big gambling operators.
T H A N K Y O U
We're looking forward to seeing you at the conference! A registration confirmation is on its way to your email inbox now.
The information about how to book the hotel reservation with a special discounted rate as well as suggestions for travel to Washington DC are reposted below:
Lodging and Food Details:
Your registration fee of $249 includes access to all events as well as dinner on Thursday night, April 27th, lunch and dinner on Friday the 28th, lunch on Saturday the 29th, and refreshments in the morning and afternoon during the event. A breakfast buffet for two people is included with all hotel stays so all meals are covered for conference attendees.
We received a special discount rate at the Holiday Inn Arlington of $189 per night (plus taxes) if you book a room by Monday, March 27th. After that date, releases our block of rooms and attendees will have to pay the market rate which is considerably higher at that time of year. . To book your hotel room at the group rate, you must use this Holiday Inn booking link. Once clicked, the group code will already be applied. Just enter the dates of your stay and the discounted price will pop up.
Best Travel Options to Washington, DC:
The conference hotel is only 5-minute walk from the Ballston-MU Metro station so you will not need a car unless you want one. Ballston-MU Station serves both the Orange Line and the Silver Line.
By Air:
There are three airports that serve the D.C. region. The closest one to the conference is Washington National (DCA). It's about a 30-minute Metro ride to the hotel (take the Blue Line to Rossyln, switch to Orange Line, take it Ballston.) The second closest is Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) which is about a 50-minute Metro ride on the Silver Line. Lastly, Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) has a commuter train line to Washington's Union Station (MARC Train Penn LIne) and then take a 40-minute Metro ride to the hotel (Red Line to Metro Center, switch to Silver Line, take it to Ballston.)
By Train:
Amtrak stops at Washington's Union Station and then take a 40-minute Metro ride to the hotel (Red Line to Metro Center, switch to Silver Line, take it to Ballston.)
By Car:
If you plan to drive to the hotel, parking is free.
What Else You Can Do When You're in Washington, DC Before or After the Conference:
The Holiday Inn Arlington offers these suggestions on its website.
Questions? Need More Info?
If you have any questions about registration, making travel arrangements, or anything else please contact our Director of Special Projects Jon-Pierre Micucci at jon-pierre@stoppredatorygambling.org or by phone at (202) 567-6996. As we get closer to the event, please check our website for updates on the schedule and speakers we will also be emailing all those who register with updated details.