15th Annual Conference on Problem Gambling
Includes a Live In-Person Event on 11/13/2025 at 8:00 AM (CST)
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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. We’ll dive into treatment options, the role of technology, and the fascinating brain science that drives gambling behavior. With expert speakers who are leaders in their fields, this conference is designed to inform, inspire, and spark meaningful change. 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.
Sam Demello
Founder & CEO of Evive, Inc.
Evive, Inc.
Sam DeMello is a technology leader and digital health entrepreneur transforming gambling harm reduction through innovative, user-centric solutions. As founder and CEO of Evive, Sam brings a unique combination of personal lived experience through his own recovery from gambling addiction and a technology-first approach to addressing one of the most overlooked public health challenges facing the United States today.
Michelle L. Malkin, JD, PhD
Michelle L. Malkin, JD, PhD, directs the Gambling Research and Policy Initiative (GRPI) at East Carolina University, where she also serves as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology. Her research examines how gambling affects individuals, families, and communities — with a focus on behavioral risks and gambling-related harms in under-studied populations. Dr. Malkin’s scholarship bridges research, policy, and practice to promote evidence-based responses to gambling harm. She has earned national recognition, including awards from the National Council on Problem Gambling and multiple honors from ECU for innovation, research excellence, and community engagement. She is the creator of the Gambling-Motivated Crime Diversion Checklist, an innovative tool used to guide criminal justice interventions and diversion programs, and co-creator of the Emerging Adult Gambling Screen (EAGS), a gambling-related harm screening tool specifically designed and validated for adults under the age of 25.
Keith Whyte
Keith Whyte is President of Safer Gambling Strategies LLC and has 30 years of national leadership in promoting responsible gambling and preventing gambling addiction. He is a highly effective advocate, advisor, policy analyst and program designer with extensive broadcast media experience. His previous experience in the gambling field includes the National Council on Problem Gambling and American Gaming Association. He is also pursuing a PhD in responsible gambling.
Jeremiah Weinstock, PhD, ABPP
Professor of Psychology
Dr. Jeremiah Weinstock is a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified specialist in addiction psychology. He serves as a Professor of Psychology at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. His clinical and research work is dedicated to improving outcomes for individuals struggling with addiction, with a particular emphasis on gambling disorder. Dr. Weinstock’s research bridges theory and practice, encompassing the development of assessment tools and the evaluation of evidence-based treatments such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and contingency management through randomized clinical trials. In addition to his academic role, he maintains a small clinical practice focused on treating gambling disorder.
