The 2008 International Gambling Conference Looking Forward: New Directions in Research and Minimising Public Harm took place on 21 to 23 February 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland. On 20 February 2008, two full-day Pre-Conference Workshops were held.

In addition to keynote presentations from leading authorities, there were parallel sessions of papers and short workshops selected from proposals submitted by conference participants.

For the second time (and in response to positive feedback from the 2006 conference) there was a ‘community voices’ session which was a forum for people who have been impacted by problem gambling, to speak out about their experiences. The Conference provided participants with a forum to examine new and emerging gambling technologies along with their various impacts and consequences. In addition, the papers and short workshops had an emphasis on measures to prevent and reduce harm associated with gambling, including harm from problem gambling. This included government policy and regulation, community engagement and advocacy, industry practice, public education, prevention and early and brief interventions, treatment and rehabilitation.

The Pre-Conference Workshops focused on treatment of problem gamblers, and public health/social marketing approaches to reducing gambling harm. The Conference and Workshops brought together service providers and consumers, government officials and regulators, industry representatives, researchers and academics in gambling and related fields.

The Conference was assisted by a grant from the Ministry of Health.