Who We Are
(Co-Directors)
- Dr Richard T.A. Wood Ph.D. C. Psychol
Dr Richard Wood is a Chartered Psychologist at the International Gaming Research Unit (IGRU) at Nottingham Trent University. Dr Wood has been studying gaming behaviour for over 12 years during which time he also worked as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at The International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours at McGill University in Montreal. As a consequence of his research, Dr Wood has published numerous gambling related articles, has presented his findings at conferences and seminars around the world, and undertaken many responsible gaming consultations for both the gaming industry and regulatory sectors. His research focuses on both the individual causes of problem gambling, as well as the structural characteristics of games that can influence the gambling behaviour of vulnerable players. - Mark D Griffiths Ph.D, C.Psychol
Dr Griffiths is a Chartered Psychologist and Europe’s only Professor of Gambling Studies (Nottingham Trent University). He has won several international prizes in the area outstanding scholarly contributions to the field of gambling research. He has published over 185 refereed research papers, published a number of books on the psychology of gambling, numerous book chapters and has over 550 other non-refereed publications to his name. He has served as a member on a number of national and international committees (e.g. European Association for the Study of Gambling, British Psychological Society Council, BPS Social Psychology Section, Society for the Study of Gambling, Gamblers Anonymous General Services Board, National Council on Gambling etc.) and was former National Chair of GamCare.
Advisory Board Members
- Jeffrey L. Derevensky Ph.D.
Dr Derevensky is a child psychologist, Director of Clinical Training and Professor of School/Applied Child Psychology, Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology; and Professor, Department of Psychiatry at McGill University. He is a clinical consultant to numerous hospitals, school boards, government agencies and corporations. Dr. Derevensky has published widely in the field of youth gambling and is on the editorial board of several journals. Dr Derevensky is co-director of the McGill University’s Youth Gambling Research & Treatment Clinic and the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviours. - Henry R. Lesieur PsyD. Ph.D.
Dr Lesieur has been involved with problem gambling and addictions for over 30 years, both as an internationally recognized researcher, and as a clinical psychologist at the Rhode Island Gambling Treatment Program. He has published a book (The Chase: Career of the Compulsive Gambler), as well numerous book chapters and professional journal articles. He founded the Journal of Gambling Studies and has edited it for 12 years, and he is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Council on Problem Gambling in the United States, as well as on the advisory board of other organizations. Dr Lesieur developed the South Oaks Gambling Screen which is currently in use on six continents and has been translated into more than 35 languages. - Dr Paul Delfabbro Ph.D.
Dr. Delfabbro is an associate professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. He has researched gambling since the early 1990s, and has authored around 80 reports and articles and other publications in the areas of applied social research relating to gambling, and other areas of social policy. He has been a frequent advisor to State and Federal Government Departments in Australia and has completed numerous consultancy projects over the last 6 years on projects relating to regulation, harm minimisation, problem gambling prevalence, geographical analysis, and the psychology of gambling. - Thomas Nilsson C. Psychol
Thomas Nilsson is clinical psychologist and Director of the Spelinstitutet in Sweden. He has worked with the issue of problem gambling for the last 20 years during which time he helped initiate self help groups in Sweden as well as a national helpline for gamblers, and he has trained numerous counsellors across Sweden. Together with Professor Emeritus Sten Rönnberg’s team he undertook the prevalence study for the Swedish Government between 1997 and 2000. He produced an Internet based education programme for the Swedish Public Health Institute, and an online self help manual for problem gamblers. Since the mid -90’s Thomas has trained gaming industry staff from the Nordic countries, and developed educational training materials for all of the retailers and VLT owners in Sweden. He is also a board member for SNSUS and EASG. - Dr Jonathan Parke Ph.D
Jonathan Parke is a senior researcher with the International Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University where he has worked on a variety of research projects focusing on internet gambling, poker behaviour, social responsibility and electronic gaming machines. His PhD research focused on developing an in-depth understanding of the structural characteristics of slot machines and how they influence slot machine gambling. Jonathan teaches classes on the psychology of gambling at both Nottingham Trent University, and at Salford University, Manchester. Jonathan acts in a consultant capacity on the psychology of gambling for various sectors of the gambling industry and to regulators. - Dr Gerhard Meyer Ph.D
Gerhard Meyer is a gambling specialist on an international level and is author of numerous papers and presentations on gambling-related topics. He is currently a Professor at the Institute of Psychology and Cognition Research, University of Bremen. He has been involved in many research projects on problem gambling, e.g. problem gambling and delinquency, neuroendocrine response to casino gambling, and brief intervention for problem gamblers, and served as a consultant for regulators in Germany, Switzerland, and the European Union as well as the gambling industry. Gerhard Meyer also works as a trainer for casino employees on early detection of problem gamblers and responsible gaming programmes. Last but not least, he acts as forensic expert witness in court cases.
