US Senate moves to fund research on gambling addiction in military
In a major change in US defence policy, the Senate Appropriations Committee has moved forward with a provision in the Fiscal Year 2026 Defence Appropriations Bill that, for the first time, permits federal funding to support research on gambling addiction among military personnel.
The proposed funding would be channelled through the Department of Defence’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Programme (PRMRP), marking the official recognition of gambling disorder as a behavioural health concern worthy of scientific investigation.
If approved, the provision would enable researchers and military clinicians to examine the scope of gambling problems within the armed forces and develop viable interventions.
The move has drawn praise from mental health organisations and advocacy groups. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), which has long campaigned for attention to this issue, welcomed the committee’s decision.
NCPG’s board president, Derek Longmeier, said the funding would finally provide “researchers, local VA clinicians, and military health officials the ability to better understand and address gambling addiction among those who serve.”
Mounting concerns of gambling addiction
Concerns over gambling behaviours among US service members have been mounting for years. The 2022 Health Related Behaviours Survey by the Department of Defence revealed that 1.6 percent of active-duty personnel and 1.7 percent of reservists indicated potential gambling issues. While these rates align with national trends, it’s important to recognise that our armed forces may still face unique challenges. Addressing this vulnerability is crucial for the well-being of our dedicated service members.
Despite the warning signs, the Department of Defence has until now lacked a dedicated funding stream to study or treat gambling addiction. Annual screenings were introduced as part of the FY2019 National Defence Authorisation Act, following a 2017 Government Accountability Office report that highlighted gambling as an emerging risk in military environments.
However, without follow-up data or targeted initiatives, the screenings had limited effectiveness. The scale of the issue is difficult to grasp, in part because of a lack of federal data. But the signs are alarming. Reportedly, the rate of suicide among veterans who seek treatment for gambling addiction is startlingly high. Roughly 40 percent have attempted it.
Their experiences echo findings in academic research. A 2024 study by Mark van der Maas and Lia Nower found that “problem gambling scores for past and current military service members were more than double that of the civilian participants.” It also revealed that “the rate of suicidal ideation among active military members was 20 times higher than civilians.”
Previous efforts have failed
Previous legislative efforts to address the issue have failed to materialise. In 2018, a proposal to develop official Department of Defence treatment protocols for gambling disorder was struck down. More recently, a 2023 bill introduced by Representative Paul Tonko seeking to remove slot machines from military bases also failed to pass.
If enacted, the FY2026 provision would mark the first instance of gambling disorder qualifying for PRMRP funding. Advocates argue that such funding is crucial for generating evidence-based research, reducing stigma, and ultimately informing both prevention and treatment strategies across military and veteran healthcare services.
As the full Senate prepares to review the broader appropriations bill, lawmakers face a pivotal moment. The decision to support gambling addiction research would represent not just a funding shift, but a long-awaited acknowledgement of a pressing behavioural health challenge within the armed forces.
