The issue of gambling addiction within the military is gaining attention as a former Army sergeant readies to publish a book detailing his personal struggle with the vice.
David Yeager, the ex-serviceman, traces the genesis of his addiction to his time at a military base in South Korea, where he was introduced to slot machines operated by the Defense Department. He describes the experience as an "obsession" that quickly spiraled out of control.
According to Straight Arrow News, Yeager's experience is not an isolated case. A 2021 study conducted by Rutgers University revealed that active-duty service members and veterans are over twice as likely to exhibit signs of problem gambling compared to civilians. The National Council on Problem Gambling estimates that approximately 56,000 service members meet the medical criteria for a gambling disorder diagnosis.
In 1951, slot machines were prohibited on military bases within the United States, and the Army and Air Force began removing them from overseas bases in the 1970s. However, these machines were swiftly reintroduced overseas as a strategy to deter service members from engaging in off-base misconduct.
Data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) as of 2017 indicates that the Defense Department operates over 3,000 slot machines on U.S. military installations in twelve foreign countries. Japan, South Korea, and Germany host the majority of these machines, which generate more than $100 million in annual revenue.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has reported a sharp increase in diagnoses of pathological gambling disorders among service members and veterans. More individuals were diagnosed in the first half of 2024 than in the entirety of 2022. The VA operates two residential treatment facilities for gambling addiction and collaborates with civilian facilities across the nation.
In a move to address this issue, service members are now screened for gambling disorders during their annual physicals, a provision signed into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by former President Donald Trump. The Defense Department has assured that service members who seek treatment for a gambling problem after screening will not face penalties.
However, efforts to curb the prevalence of slot machines on military bases have faced setbacks. In the most recent NDAA, Rep. Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., proposed an amendment to prohibit the military from operating slot machines on all bases. Unfortunately, this measure did not make it into this year's final NDAA, which the House Rules Committee is set to consider at its meeting on Thursday, July 11.
The issue of gambling addiction in the military is a pressing concern, with the experiences of veterans like Yeager shedding light on the severity of the problem. As the debate continues, the focus remains on finding effective solutions to address this growing problem within the military ranks.
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