Kindbridge is delighted to partner with Playtech – the world’s leading gambling technology company – on a new ground-breaking research study in the US. Kindbridge has formed the Kindbridge Research Institute to create an evidence-based teletherapy model for gambling and gaming disorders. Playtech is helping to kick-start the research journey by supporting the Research Institute with a grant. It has also made an annual commitment to advance clinical research on gambling disorder, gaming disorder and digital well-being.
The Kindbridge Research Institute is commissioning the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University in New Jersey, a leading public research university in the US, to build the evidence-based telehealth model independently so that data produced through the treatment system can be used for peer-reviewed research and to provide data sets on a size and scale never before achieved when analyzing this population.
Kindbridge is calling on casino operators, NGOs, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and state regulators everywhere to participate in the program. With their involvement, the Research Institute will be able to analyze player data to better understand the origins of disordered gambling and gaming behavior, alongside outcome data from the Kindbridge clinical network. This will enable the Kindbridge Research Institute to gather a detailed picture of the player journey – from the origin of the problematic gambling or gaming behavior, through to what has the greatest impact on outcomes for those seeking help. The timeframe for providing this level of insight is expected to be 18 to 24 months.
Daniel Umfleet, Kindbridge CEO, said: “The centralized approach that we are taking to offering telehealth services to the gambling community is giving us an inside look at the demographic of individuals and family members that suffer from gambling problems on a scale that should allow data scientists, academics and researchers to gain more insight than ever before.”
Mor Weizer, Playtech CEO, added: “The research partnership with Kindbridge and Rutgers University will play a critical role in helping the sector design and deliver high-quality digital well-being and mental health support for those at-risk and affected by gambling-related harm. We are delighted to partner with Kindbridge Research Institute and Kindbridge clinical network as they pioneer the next generation of gambling treatment, services and support in the US.”
Lia Nower, J.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University and lead researcher on this study, commented: “We are excited to partner with Kindbridge to build a standardized and effective treatment framework for problem gambling and video gaming. Kindbridge is the first treatment agency in the US that is exclusively focused in these areas, and delivering treatment we can test for effectiveness fills an unmet need in this time of rapid expansion.”
Through the collaboration, Playtech is also providing Kindbridge with digital learning expertise and support from its Playtech Academy team to help build the Kindbridge internal Learning Management System for therapists and internal staff. Kindbridge therapists undertake a thorough training schedule and Playtech is helping the team to digitise its content.
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Contact Daniel Umfleet – [email protected]
Editor’s Notes
About Kindbridge
Kindbridge is the world’s first teletherapy company focused specifically on the successful treatment of gamblers and gamers struggling with their mental health. It aims to build the largest network of mental health treatment providers in the US who focus on high-quality specialist care for these communities . Visit: kindbridge.com
About Kindbridge Research Institute
The Kindbridge Research Institute is the first organization that is solely focused on researching treatment modalities, evidence-based outcomes, and access issues that individuals face when seeking care and guidance for problems stemming from gambling, gaming and digital dependencies.
About Playtech
Playtech is the gambling industry’s leading technology company, delivering business intelligence-driven gambling software, services, content and platform technology across the industry’s most popular product verticals, including casino, live casino, sports betting, virtual sports, bingo and poker. It is the pioneer of omni-channel gambling technology through its integrated platform technology, Playtech ONE. Visit: playtech.com