Politicians move on banning slot machines at US military bases
By Ramona Depares
Soldiers, sailors and marines in America may find themselves turning more towards US online casinos, if Congressman Paul Tonko has his way. Military.com has reported that the congressman is proposing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would see slot machines banned from operating on military bases. And this has nothing to do with responsible gambling practices.
Although the Pentagon is unlikely to view this amendment with favour, given that it’s an excellent source of revenue that it claims helps fund other activities, the topic has long been a bone of contention.
Safe gambling agencies have been among the most vociferous ones in favour of the ban, claiming that the presence of slot machines contributes to gambling addiction.
Still, Tonko’s proposal is expected to be an uphill battle. His amendment is one of more than 1,300 other proposed changes that have been filed. Amendments to the NDAA are debated annually by the House as part of a must-pass bill. But, with so many proposals it is likely that only a few 100 will actually be voted on, and that their proponents will be pushing for a vote.
It is the House Rules Committee that decides which amendments are actually put up for vote, and there are no indications as yet whether the slot machines ban will be one of them. The committee is made up of 13 members, with a 9 to 4 majority advantage for the Republicans.
Tonko, on the other hand, is a member of the Democratic Party who has built a reputation as a progressive. Although his proposal can be considered relevant, the odds that it passes to a vote aren’t in his favour given the Republican advantage.
Congressman previously tried to ban online sports advertising
This is not the first time Congressman Tonko has tried to introduce more restrictive legislation related to retail and online casinos US. Earlier this year, ESPN reported how the congressman was proposing to severely limit advertising activities by online sportsbooks operating in the US, calling the online gambling structure “a Wild West, largely unregulated environment”.
His proposals, dubbed the SAFE Bet Act, called for a ban on sportsbook advertising during live sporting events, besides controlling the language used in advertising and the removal of words like ‘bonus’ and ‘no sweat bets’. The proposal also called for a complete credit card ban at all sportsbooks, and a cap of five deposits within a 24-hour period from any single customer. This included minimum bet sportsbooks US.
The SAFE Bet Act also targeted the use of artificial intelligence, prohibiting the use of AI to track a player’s responsible gambling habits or to create customer-specific prop bets.
And, back in February 2023, Tonko had also proposed the Betting on Our Futures Act, which was specifically focused on the advertising of sports betting. This was based on the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, which banned tobacco advertisements.
Calling sportsbook advertising tactics “predatory” and intended “to hook and retain a new generation of consumers”, he told ESPN:
“Just as in the tobacco industry when it was determined that that industry was posing a public health situation, we have now displaced Joe Camel with celebrity spokespeople and, yes, free product.”
Background on military base slot machines in the US
The US military has a complicated relationship with slot machines on their bases. All slot machines had been banned from bases across America back in the 1950s. Some 20 years later, the move was extended to foreign soil.
However, fast-forward to the 1980s and suddenly slot machines were allowed to make a comeback. The legal reasoning behind the relaxation of the ban was that offering entertainment options on the military base itself, would stop troops from getting into trouble off base due to lack of entertainment.
However, nowadays there’s also a revenue angle that needs to be considered. The Pentagon insists that slot machines fund many military amenities, including entertainment and recreational facilities for the troops.
In 2018, another potential ban was in the works, with Congress questioning whether those who are serving but suffer from gambling problems, could be a threat to national security. However, no legislation was ever passed.
The Guardian reports that, currently, the US military operates more than 3,000 slot machines on bases in 12 countries. In 1999, the figure was 8,000 machines in 94 countries, so we’re definitely seeing a downward trend. However, troops as young as 18 years of age do have access to other games of chance sponsored by the military.
Despite the decrease in number, the slot machines contribute significant revenue in excess of $100m annually. The funds are used for groups “supporting morale, welfare and recreation” facilities on all bases, such as golf courses and movie theatres.
According to the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centre, problems do exist. An analysis of patients conducted in 2003 found that 64% of those who survived a suicide attempt blamed gambling-related harms for pushing them over the edge.
And, in 2016, a survey among Iraq war veterans revealed that 4.2% had become at-risk gamblers after joining the military. Moreover, the National Council on Problem Gambling reports that there are an estimated 56,000 active duty service members who may meet the criteria for gambling disorder.
To put things in perspective, this generally affects around 1% of Americans.
The link between US military service and gambling has been made even within educational and research facilities. In 2021, Rutgers University conducted a study of gambling in the military, where researcher Mark van der Maas found that active and retired military service members were more than twice as likely to become problem gamblers than other members of the population.
The Department of Defense appears to have understood the problem and, since 2019 runs obligatory annual screenings for gambling disorder. These are held as part of service members’ general health assessment, but random spot surveys on active-duty soldiers are also held regularly.
Moreover, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers a program in Ohio, for all military personnel with problem gambling.
Would Banning Slot Machines At Military Basis Solve The Issue?
Although Congressman Tonko’s bill may not even make it to a vote, what would be the result if it were to be made law? And would it be limited to slot machines on domestic soil, or would it also include foreign bases?
This depends a lot on the results of the debating process and the version of the amendment that would pass for enactment. However, many argue that – even if all slots were to be banned from all bases – this would hardly address the issue given the prevalence of online casinos US.
It would make more sense to focus on educational and preventative measures and to ensure a holistic approach to the mental health of those in military service. Given the sound reasoning behind this approach, it will undoubtedly have a lot of weight when it comes to debating in the House.