In 2005, the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission (MGCC) partnered with Manitoba Lotteries Corporation (MLC) and the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM) to develop the Manitoba Longitudinal Study of Young Adults (MLSYA). The study is following a sample of 679 Manitobans between the ages of 18 and 20 over a five-year span in order to provide a picture of their changing gambling behaviours and attitudes and to identify social, psychological and biological factors that can be linked to these changes. This research will strengthen our understanding of protective factors that promote responsible gambling and risk factors that increase the likelihood of experiencing gambling-related harm.

The project partners selected PRA Inc., a Winnipeg-based research firm, to recruit participants and collect data for the MLSYA starting in October 2007. The second cycle of data collection wrapped up in fall 2009, and PRA Inc. began collecting the third cycle of data in May 2010. Experts from Manitoba’s colleges and universities have been involved at every stage of this project to ensure that it meets research and ethical standards.

The MGCC’s Research Department is coordinating the MLSYA on behalf of the project partners. We are pleased to be a leader in gambling research by participating in major collaborative research endeavours, like the MLSYA, that will inform policy and public interest activities and build research capacity in Manitoba.

Links: 

• MLSYA Research Plan (June 2007)