15th Annual Conference on Problem Gambling
Includes a Live In-Person Event on 11/13/2025 at 8:00 AM (CST)
-
Register
- General Registration - $15
Join us for the 15th Annual Conference on Problem Gambling hosted by the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling on November 13, 2025. This enlightening event will cover crucial topics such as treatment options, the impact of technology, and the brain chemistry behind problem gambling. Featuring esteemed speakers renowned in their fields, the conference promises to educate and inspire. Designed for counselors and social workers across Illinois, the overarching message is the critical importance of being well-informed about problem gambling to better support and assist their patients. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your professional knowledge and network with peers dedicated to making a difference.
Event Objectives
- Enhance Professional Knowledge:
- Provide counselors and social workers with up-to-date information on treatment options, technological impacts, and the brain chemistry behind problem gambling, equipping them with the knowledge to better assist their patients.
- Promote Evidence-Based Practices:
- Showcase research findings and effective intervention strategies from esteemed speakers, fostering the adoption of evidence-based practices in the field of problem gambling treatment and prevention.
- Facilitate Networking and Collaboration:
- Create opportunities for attendees to network, share experiences, and collaborate with peers and experts, strengthening the professional community dedicated to addressing problem gambling in Illinois.
Event Details:
Location: Marriott Bloomington Normal 201 Broadway, Normal IL 61761-3200
Time: Registration and networking breakfast begins at 8:00 am. Welcome Session begins at 8:30 am and the event will conclude by 3:00 pm
Cost: $15.00 for the conference, including breakfast, lunch and CEU. Financial assistance applications are available here.
Parking: Complimentary parking on in the attached garage.
CEU: Pending Approval for ICB/IODACA categories, Approved for LSW/LCSW and LPC/LCPC
This training is sponsored in whole or in part by the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery.
ICPG workshops and trainings provide CEU (continuing education units) through the Illinois Certification Board based on approval for individual trainings.
The State of Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation Division of Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has approved all ICPG workshops and trainings as a Registered Social Worker CE Sponsor. This program is recognized as providing CE hours for: LSW/LCSW and LPC/LCPC under IDFPR license #159.001302.
The International Problem Gambling and Gaming Certification Organization recognizes ICPG as a preferred partner for workshops and trainings in line with the ICGC Level I & II.
Michelle L. Malkin, JD, PhD
Michelle L. Malkin, JD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology and the Director of the Gambling Research and Policy Initiative (GRPI) at East Carolina University. Dr. Malkin's research interests include a focus on gambling-related harms, gambling-motivated crime, and the gambling prevalence, behavior, and risk of historically oppressed, marginalized, and under-researched populations. Her research has been recently published in journals such as the Journal of Gambling Studies and the Journal of Gambling Issues. Her dissertation on Problem Gambling, General Strain Theory, and Gender received the 2022 Dr. Durand Jacobs Dissertation Award from the National Council on Problem Gambling. She received the 2024 ECU Early Trendsetter Award for her research on gambling-related issues and has also been awarded ECU's Innovator of the Month Award for her creation and copyright of the Gambling-Motivated Crime Diversion Checklist.
Kellie Gage, Ph.D., M.S., CAADC
Illinois Department of Human Services
Kellie Gage, Ph.D., M.S., CAADC, is the Program Manager for Statewide Gambling Disorder Treatment Services at the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (IDHS/DBHR). She began her career in state government in August 2001 as the Gambling Initiative Specialist. In her current role, Kellie provides oversight for the development and implementation of statewide treatment and outreach services, gambling-specific training, public awareness campaigns, and helpline services for individuals in need of treatment and resources related to gambling disorder. Kellie earned her Doctorate in Counseling and Psychological Studies with a concentration in Crisis and Trauma and holds a Master of Science degree. She has dedicated over 34 years to the substance use and behavioral health field as a clinician, program manager, and trainer. She is credentialed as a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor (CAADC) through the Illinois Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Professional Certification Association, Inc.
Jim Wilkerson
Program Administrator
The Illinois Department of Human Services/Substance Use Prevention and Recovery
Jim Wilkerson is the Administrator of Gambling Initiative Programs for the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (IDHS/SUPR). Jim is responsible for the development of gambling disorder awareness programming, research, provider training, and recovery services in Illinois. Jim holds a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois. He is an Adjunct-Professor teaching at Millikin University, a 2021 Operational Research Society Griffiths Medal winner, and an Institute on Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) Scholar.
