Division on Addiction

What Division on Addiction does

The Division on Addiction is a research, education, and outreach division within Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital headquartered in Malden, Massachusetts. Founded in 1992, the Division focuses primarily on gambling disorder and related behavioral addictions, operating as a non-profit academic research center with 11-50 employees including PhD-credentialed faculty holding Harvard Medical School appointments. The organization produces peer-reviewed publications, validated screening instruments, and multimedia educational resources, with research collaborations spanning worldwide partners.

The Division's core products include the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS), a DSM-IV-based 3-item screener with sensitivity of 0.96 and specificity of 0.99, available in printable, pocket, and e-Screener formats across 22 languages; the InSIGHT multimedia training system for gambling industry employees; the 'Your First Step to Change' self-help workbook; the BASIS research-summary blog; the CARS computerized assessment and referral system; the annual Gambling Disorder Screening Day established in 2014; the CHARGE initiative on gambling expansion readiness; and the Transparency Project for open-access addiction research. Underlying technology consists of web-based screening platforms, downloadable resources, and digital education tools rather than proprietary software-as-a-service products.

The Division's business model is grant- and donation-funded rather than transactional. All resources are provided free of charge to healthcare providers, community organizations, educators, families, and the general public across the United States and internationally. Revenue is sourced from research grants, foundations, institutional support from Cambridge Health Alliance, and public donations. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging grassroots events, social media, a quarterly newsletter, webinars, podcasts, and educational gamification (Kahoot!) to build awareness and adoption of screening and education tools.

Name

Division on Addiction

Legal name

Cambridge Health Alliance, Division on Addiction

Website

https://divisiononaddiction.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Division on Addiction is a non-profit research division within Cambridge Health Alliance (Harvard Medical School) that develops free, evidence-based screening tools, training, and outreach for gambling disorder, serving healthcare providers, community organizations, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Research and Public Health Education

NAICS

Gambling Industries (7132), Other Gambling Industries (713290)

akta.pro primary industry

Lottery Data, Analytics & Responsible Gaming Tools (MPAEAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Compliance Training, Policies & Governance (SOPs, controls, board reporting) (MPAEAOAJ), Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)

Keywords

• Addiction research services
• Gambling disorder screening
• Public health education
• Evidence-based training programs
• Behavioral health resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Malden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: The Division on Addiction operates as a research division within Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School. The organization receives funding from various sources including government grants, foundations, and institutional support for conducting addiction research, education, and outreach activities.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations from the public to support the Division's mission of alleviating addiction-related social, medical, and economic burdens through research, education, training, and outreach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Division on Addiction is a non-profit research and education organization that develops and distributes evidence-based screening instruments (BBGS), self-help workbooks, multimedia training systems (InSIGHT), and clinical treatment guidelines focused on gambling disorder and behavioral addictions. All products and resources are provided free of charge to healthcare providers, gambling industry employees, community organizations, and individuals affected by addiction.

Product overview

The Division on Addiction is a research and education organization that offers a portfolio of evidence-based screening tools, educational resources, training programs, and outreach initiatives focused on gambling disorder and addiction. The core products include the Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen (BBGS), a 3-item screening tool available in printable, e-screener, and pocket formats in multiple languages, and 'Your First Step to Change,' a free self-guided workbook. The organization provides the InSIGHT training system for gambling industry employees, hosts the annual Gambling Disorder Screening Day with a comprehensive toolkit, publishes the BASIS blog summarizing addiction research, and offers various educational materials including quizzes, webinars, and treatment guidelines. These products work together to support screening, education, treatment guidance, and public awareness around gambling disorder.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BASIS (Brief Addiction Science Information Source): A blog by the Division on Addiction that summarizes recent research and shares expert perspectives on gambling and substances.
• BBGS (Brief Biosocial Gambling Screen)
• Your First Step to Change
• CHARGE (Cambridge Health Alliance Readiness for Gambling Expansion)
• InSIGHT (Independent Science-based Information on Gambling & Health Training)
• CARS (Computerized Assessment & Referral System)

Quantifiable outcome

• BBGS has sensitivity of 0.96 and specificity of 0.99 for identifying Gambling Disorder
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Cambridge Health AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge Health Alliance is the parent healthcare system of the Division on Addiction. As a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance provides the institutional framework for the Division's research, education, and outreach activities.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge Health Alliance is a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. Division faculty and staff hold academic appointments at Harvard Medical School, connecting the Division to premier medical education and research resources.
• The Transparency ProjectflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaborative transparency initiative that provides open access to research and data related to addiction and gambling. The Division curates and manages this project to promote scientific transparency in addiction research.
• BASIS (Brief Addiction Science Information Source)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBASIS is a blog platform developed by the Division that summarizes recent research and shares expert perspectives on gambling and substances, serving as a public-facing science communication outlet.
• CARS Training CentercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership related to the Computerized Assessment & Referral System (CARS), providing training on the CARS platform through the CARS Training Center.
• Massachusetts Technical Assistance Center for Problem Gambling Treatment (M-TAC)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerM-TAC offers free, on-demand educational courses and live training opportunities for allied health professionals covering gambling-related topics. The Division provides resources through this partnership.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration): US federal agency funding and disseminating behavioral-health resources including problem gambling. Comparable to the Division in mission and resource-distribution model, but at a vastly larger federal-government scale.
• Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: Major US addiction-treatment nonprofit with broad substance and behavioral-addiction coverage. Comparable in nonprofit/mission-driven treatment focus, but Hazelden Betty Ford is a far larger incumbent delivering inpatient/residential care rather than gambling-specific research.

Direct peers

• International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG): Independent nonprofit that funds peer-reviewed research on gambling disorder and responsible gaming. Highly comparable to the Division on Addiction because both produce and translate gambling-disorder science into practitioner-facing tools and policy guidance.
• Gambling Research Exchange Ontario (GREO): Research-knowledge-translation organization that synthesizes gambling-research evidence for practitioners, policymakers, and the public. Comparable to the Division on Addiction in its evidence-based outreach and translation mission.
• Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling / M-TAC: State-affiliated problem-gambling organization providing training and resources in Massachusetts. Already a listed partner of the Division on Addiction and directly comparable in regional gambling-harm prevention and professional training.
• National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG): National US nonprofit advocating for problem-gambling services, operating the national helpline and Problem Gambling Awareness Month — the very month during which the Division's Screening Day is held. Directly comparable operating model and audience.
• University of Maryland Center for Gambling Studies: Academic research and training center focused on gambling disorder within a major university. Directly comparable to the Division on Addiction as a university-affiliated research/education center producing validated screening and treatment resources.

Emerging players

• Kindbridge Behavioral Health: Telehealth provider specializing in gambling-disorder and behavioral-addiction treatment. Comparable in target population (problem gamblers) and overlap with the Division's screening and treatment-guideline work, though Kindbridge delivers direct clinical care rather than research.
• EPIC Risk Management: Gambling-harm-prevention consultancy providing training, player-screening, and operator risk-management services. Comparable to the Division's InSIGHT training product and BBGS screener, though EPIC is a commercial operator rather than a research nonprofit.
• Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health: Academic research and clinical program at Yale focused on addiction, recovery, and community health. Comparable to the Division on Addiction as an academic-medical-center-based addiction research and education unit, though at a different specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/div_addiction
• Facebookfacebook.com/CHAdivisiononaddiction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/division-on-addiction
• Instagraminstagram.com/div_addiction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Division on Addiction