Armed Services Mull Screening for Gambling Addiction

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Wednesday, March 8th, 2017 | Written by Adam Brown

When you think of the U.S. military, gambling probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind; however, gaming has long been a tradition within the U.S. Armed Forces. Stories of American soldiers playing craps during World War II have become so legendary that there is even a form of dice cheating technique named in honor of the GIs called the “army blanket roll.” Richard Nixon is also said to have paid for his college education using winnings from poker games played while he was stationed overseas, and reportedly, even George Washington struggled to try and keep his troops from gambling at base camps.

While for most soldiers, gambling is simply a pastime that helps to pass the hours while stationed away from home, there exists some concerns about the prevalence of gambling addiction in the U.S. military. In fact, the Government Accountability Office (GOA) recently produced a report suggesting that the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security should start screening for gambling addiction risk prior to allowing anyone to serve.

Prevention Treatment Services

The GAO report was commissioned by US Senator Elizabeth Warren back in 2015, after she learned that the Department of Defense (DOD) has more than 3,000 slot machines located at US military bases worldwide, which each year generate $100 million in revenues. Interestingly, while the US bans them being featured at US-based military bases, they are to be found in abundance at US army and naval instillations in Japan, Germany, Korea, Italy, Spain, Diego Garcia, Greece and Singapore. As Warren stated after hearing the news:

“If the military is going to operate gambling facilities that bring in tens of millions of dollars in revenue, it also needs to ensure there is adequate prevention, treatment, and financial counseling available for service members struggling with gambling addictions.”

GAO Report Findings

According to the recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, roughly 0.03 percent of all U.S. service members suffer from problem gambling habits, with the numbers having been calculated using data compiled by the Military Health System from 2011 to 2015. It’s unknown exactly what the rates for gambling addiction are among the entire U.S. population, though, as the condition is difficult to treat and often goes unreported.

In its report, the Government Accountability Office says that the U.S. Department of Defense is not properly equipped to provide counseling and other services to support service members who develop gambling problems. Their solution is to screen for the problem during the recruitment process in order to weed out individuals who are at an increased risk of developing a gambling habit. The office argues that those who become preoccupied by gambling are likely unready to serve, and could jeopardize other soldiers.

Gamblers Less Ready to Serve

Despite the Department of Defense’s attempt to answer points raised by the GOA study, the watchdog remains unconvinced that enough is being done to provide clear guidelines to address gambling disorders. As the GOA subsequently noted in its findings:

“DOD officials stated they do not screen for gambling disorder because they focus on mental health disorders that are high risk to overall readiness, high volume, and have validated measures for assessment. While gambling disorder is not a frequently diagnosed condition, the preoccupation with gambling, financial hardship, and increased risk of suicide can pose a risk to individual readiness.”

Experts familiar with the report also point out that the office is likely further concerned concerning the risk of bribery and corruption that could stem from gambling in the military.

DOD Issues Response

The US Department of Defense responded to the Government Accountability Office report with criticism. In a statement, military leaders said that they had no plans to institute screening for gambling addiction, but would make greater efforts to address the problem with gambling addiction awareness training for military service members. The department also said that the prevalence was too low to justify the increased costs that would be associated with screening for the condition.

In addition, the Department of Defense countered the Government Accountability Office argument by saying that far more serious mental health concerns are not screened for during recruitment. The Armed Services does not currently test for obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder or psychotic disorders. These mental health problems are far more common than gambling addiction, the department stated, and are more problematic. The statement went on to say that mental health screenings in general are too costly and time consuming, and that the military does not have the resources to perform them accurately and reliably.