Senate Committee Backs Funding for Gambling Impact on Military

The US Military has been profiting from the deployment of slot games across military bases across the world, with at least 1,800 such machines available across its facilities.

A recent article by Wired has similarly highlighted the impact that military personnel are suffering as a result of this exposure to gambling, including gambling-related harm and addiction, and questioned military members’ combat readiness.

Senate Votes to Back Funding to Help Understand How Gambling Impacts Personnel

Yet, argued the article, the onus is on the US military to ensure that service members are protected.

This is why the Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced a measure as part of its FY2026 Defense Appropriations Bill that directly earmarks funding for research into gambling addiction and how it is impacting personnel.

This is an important step in the right direction, celebrated by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), an NGO that has long insisted that veterans are far more likely to bear severe consequences of gambling addiction.

NCPG Board of Directors President, Derek Longmeier, had this to say, welcoming the new budget, which will finally address what he perceives to be a serious problem that brooks no delay.

“The Committee’s action will finally give researchers, local VA clinicians, and military health officials the ability to better understand and address gambling addiction among those who serve.”

NCPG Board of Directors President, Derek Longmeier

The exact number of how many people who are active or reserve personnel and are affected by gambling addiction varies. Yet, according to the DoD’s 2022 Health Related Behaviors Survey, around 1.6% of active-duty personnel at the time were suffering from gambling problems.

Addressing Problem Gambling in the Military – No Funding Until Now

Another 1.7% of reservists were also affected, but these numbers may be an understatement, given that the people affected by gambling problems in the general population tend to be higher.

Even though the lower numbers are taken into consideration, there is simply not enough money directed to address the potential harm that service members are experiencing daily.

Wired’s article also pointed out that for people who suffer from gambling addiction, temptation is ever-present, as their deployment usually involves a base that already has and runs a dedicated slot parlor.