Concerns are growing over a surge in gambling addiction diagnoses among military veterans and potentially service members, including many who have used Department of Defense-operated slot machines abroad.
A Veteran’s Story: Dave Yeager
“I took running out of my 401(k) just to feed this addiction. It got so bad I had the first of my four suicide attempts.”
Dave Yeager struggled with gambling for two decades. He said it started in the Army when, in the wake of 9/11, this staff sergeant was stationed in South Korea. To his surprise, he found military slot machines on base.
“What started as something fun quickly turned into something I needed to do — it became an obsession.”
He now openly acknowledges borrowing from subordinates, taking from petty cash, and leaving his family in serious financial trouble. Problem gambling — even with counselors — those words never came up.
Department of Defense Slot Machines Abroad
The Department of Defense has installed more than 3,000 slot machines in lounges and game rooms in U.S. military facilities in a dozen foreign countries.
The revenue — more than $100 million annually, according to a report — funds recreation for military members.
Slots are not permitted on bases domestically. Unlike civilian slot machines, which carry advisories about problem gambling, Yeager says that wasn’t the case on base.
DoD Response and Screening Practices
The Department of Defense has affirmed that service members are screened for gambling disorders in their annual health physicals. Its 2018 survey — before sports betting expanded — indicated problem gambling in less than 2% of respondents, about the same as the civilian population.
Service members who feel they have a gambling issue are encouraged to make an appointment for screening and treatment and won’t be penalized for doing so.
Uneven Policies and the Rise of Legalized Gambling
Policies on education and treatment are mostly determined by individual commanders and can differ significantly from one base to another. Meanwhile, gambling has exploded — legal in some form in all but four states.
When states legalize sports and digital gambling, it makes wagering easier than ever. Many service members also become familiar with the dynamics of the best online casinos, further blurring the line between recreation and risk.
“We’ve begun to see individuals struggling with gambling reaching out and asking for help.”
Skyrocketing Demand for VA Treatment
The VA says the need is skyrocketing. It says it is treating nearly as many patients for a pathological gambling diagnosis in the first half of this year as in all of 2022.
Women account for 20% of those referrals. It’s a big reason why military wife Breanne is lobbying Congress and the Defense Department for more gambling education and treatment.
I believe the men and women who put on that uniform every day are prepared to sacrifice it all — the very least we can do is ensure the government stands behind them and says, “We’ve got your back.”
Expert Insight: Hidden Epidemic Among the Armed Forces
Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling:
“I estimate that the actual number of gambling addictions in the armed forces could be two to three times higher than what the Department of Defense shared with me. ”
The National Council on Problem Gambling has a lot of experience — both over 50 years of anecdotal experience working with vets — and all the previous studies in the military show that rate was roughly 9% among active-duty personnel.
Unless gambling problems have dropped severely in the past 20 years, we think it is a hidden epidemic among our military personnel.
Underreporting and Risk Factors
A lot of experts think it is underreported (gambling problems). So when they do those health screenings or military physical fitness tests every year, they may do what we do and not tell their doctor the whole truth.
“Why would service members and veterans be at more risk — more vulnerable — to gambling addiction?”
The profile of a typical military enlistee is to be young, male, high levels of risk-taking. We know there’s substance use and abuse in the civilian population.
And every study of veterans — all those risk factors are correlated with higher risks of gambling problems.
It would be exceptionally surprising if military personnel were at lower risk or even the same risk as the civilian population.
Will the DoD Act Without Pressure?
When you look at the numbers the VA says they are treating and the way that has skyrocketed over the last two years, it is clear that more needs to be done. Is that all about education?
A veteran who works in gambling actually told me he doesn’t think the Defense Department will do anything unless Congress forces their hand.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has been trying for more than 20 years to get the military to accept the fact they are essentially a large casino company.
They need to do the same types of prevention, education, and fund treatment because they are making so much money off legalized gambling.
They really try to delay and dodge and not address this head-on as they should. There is a lot more they could be doing.
Broader Risk Group
The same concerns apply to colleges and universities across the nation. While most campuses don’t have slot machines, many have them nearby, placing students at risk.
This demographic is considered high-risk, and while gambling addiction can affect anyone, it tends to cluster in these vulnerable populations.
“We know gambling addiction — while it can affect anyone — clusters in these high-risk populations.”
Born and raised in Bozeman, Montana, he graduated from George State University with an MBA in Actuarial Science. His hobbies include beach volleyball, hiking, fishing, and lifting weights
George is also a certified nutritionist with a passion for health and fitness.
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