Concerns Rise Over Gambling Addiction Among US Military Personnel

Accessibility and Addiction

The presence of over 3,000 slot machines on US military bases worldwide is particularly alarming, as these facilities generate around $100 million annually, partly used to fund recreational activities for servicemen and women.

Dominick DePhilippis, Deputy National Mental Health Director for Substance Abuse Disorders at the US Department of Veterans Affairs, highlighted in a recent CNBC interview the correlation between the availability of gambling opportunities and the rise in addiction rates.

“It’s not terribly surprising, because with accessibility and availability increases, we tend to see a rise in unhealthy engagement,” DePhilippis noted. This statement underscores the ease with which military personnel can access gambling activities, potentially exacerbating problem gambling within the ranks.

Comparing Military and Civilian Gambling Addiction Rates

Despite the concerns, the Department of Defense cited a Health Related Behavior survey indicating that gambling addiction rates among US military personnel range between 1.6% and 1.7%, figures that are comparable to civilian rates.

However, this survey was last conducted in 2018, coinciding with the repeal of PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act), which significantly broadened the scope of legal sports betting across the country. The true impact of this expansion on US military personnel remains under-researched and could potentially reveal higher addiction rates than currently understood.

In response to growing worries about the impact of gambling on military personnel, Rep. Paul Tonko has proposed an amendment to ban slot machine gambling on military bases. This amendment, which seeks to modify the National Defense Authorization Act, reflects a growing acknowledgment of the risks posed by readily available gambling resources in military settings.