Growing concerns over gambling addiction in the military

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

CONCERNS OVER GAMBLING ADDICTION IN THE MILITARY ARE COMING BACK INTO THE SPOTLIGHT – AS AN ARMY VETERAN BATTLING WITH IT GETS READY TO RELEASE A BOOK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE.

FORMER ARMY STAFF SERGEANT DAVID YEAGER SAYS HIS ADDICTION STARTED ON A MILITARY BASE IN SOUTH KOREA – AT SLOT MACHINES RUN BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE – AND QUICKLY TURNED INTO WHAT HE CALLS AN OBSESSION.

YEAGER IS NOT ALONE.

A 2021 STUDY OUT OF RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUND ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS WERE MORE THAN TWICE AS LIKELY TO SHOW SIGNS OF PROBLEM GAMBLING THAN CIVILIANS.

AND THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON PROBLEM GAMBLING ESTIMATES ABOUT 56-THOUSAND SERVICE MEMBERS MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS OF GAMBLING DISORDER.

SLOT MACHINES WERE BANNED ON MILITARY BASES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES IN 19-51… AND THE ARMY AND AIR FORCE STARTED REMOVING THEM FROM OVERSEAS BASES IN THE 1970S.

BUT THEY WERE QUICKLY BROUGHT BACK TO BASES OVERSEAS AS A WAY TO HELP KEEP SERVICE MEMBERS FROM GETTING INTO TROUBLE OFF BASE. 

THE LATEST DATA FROM THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE SHOW AS OF 20-17 – THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OPERATED MORE THAN THREE THOUSAND SLOT MACHINES ON U.S. MILITARY INSTALLATIONS…

IN A DOZEN FOREIGN COUNTRIES – WITH THE MAJORITY IN JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA, AND GERMANY… 

AND THOSE MACHINES PRODUCE MORE THAN 100 MILLION DOLLARS IN ANNUAL REVENUE.

THE V-A SAYS DIAGNOSES OF PATHOLOGICAL GAMBLING DISORDERS AMONG SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS IS SKYROCKETING – WITH MORE PEOPLE DIAGNOSED IN THE FIRST *HALF* OF 2024… THAN *ALL* OF 2022.

THE V-A OPERATES TWO RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT FACILITIES FOR GAMBLING ADDICTION AND HAS PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIVILIAN FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

SERVICE MEMBERS ARE ALSO NOW SCREENED FOR GAMBLING DISORDERS DURING THEIR YEARLY PHYSICAL – AFTER A PROVISION WAS SIGNED INTO THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT, OR N-D-A-A, BY THEN-PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ALSO SAID SERVICE MEMBERS WITH A GAMBLING PROBLEM WILL NOT BE PENALIZED FOR SEEKING TREATMENT AFTER THEY’RE SCREENED.

AND IN THE MOST RECENT N-D-A-A – DEMOCRATIC REP. PAUL TONKO OF NEW YORK FILED AN AMENDMENT TO STOP THE MILITARY FROM OPERATING SLOT MACHINES ON *ALL* BASES.

THE MEASURE DID *NOT* MAKE IT INTO THIS YEAR’S FINAL N-D-A-A, WHICH THE HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE WILL CONSIDER AT ITS MEETING NEXT THURSDAY 

YEAGER’S BOOK, “FALL IN: A VETERAN WITH GAMBLING ADDICTION” COMES OUT JULY 20-TH.