World’s best gaming conference

I can say this without hesitation: if you want to present an academic paper on the gaming industry, the best conference for you is the International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking. It’s held every three years, and in May 2006 it will be in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Here’s some pertinent information:

Call for Papers

Calling on Leaders and representatives from commercial gaming industries, academia, research organizations, regulatory agencies, and the helping services—as well as gamblers and the general public. Since 1974 to present; these individuals have evaluated research, discuss new trends and technologies, and explored the changes and challenges created by the increased presence of commercial gaming to citizens throughout the world. You can be a part of this process in 2006 by submitting one or more papers for presentation at the 13th International Conference on Gambling and Risk-Taking. Submissions are invited in the general fields of gambling and risk-taking and may cover several areas.

View the PDF Call for Papers

If you are an established professor, graduate student, or even an intrepid undergrad, this is a great place to present your research. If you are in the industry, attending the conference will give you an excellent opportunity to see what’s happening on the cutting edge of academic research.

While I don’t have anything set in stone (I’m too overworked with editing Roll the Bones to put together an abstract) I can guarantee that I will be involved, hopefully presenting a paper on the history of casino skimming (I’m looking for a co-author with a background in accoutning/business) and moderating a panel. Remember, the last absolute lock prediction I made on the site, that I would not win the 2005 New Las Vegas Marathan, came true: I finished in 3:52:11 (I still am not tired of writing that), which was comfortably behind Stephen Kiogora’s 2:11:58 .

Seriously, if you are interested in attending the conference, go here. This was the first academic conference I ever attended (as a grad student in 1997, when it was held in Montreal), and you could argue that it helped me on my current career path. So I’ve got a definite soft spot for the conference, but even if I didn’t, it’s the best place to hear intelligent discussion of gaming issues.