The Senate has moved forward with plans to address the issue of problem gambling in both active servicemembers and Veterans of the United States military.
A key provision of the Senate Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2026 was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“Servicemembers and Veterans facing gambling addiction deserve the same level of support and understanding we’ve worked to build around PTSD, depression, and other behavioral health challenges.” – Ben Ray Luján, Senator (D-NM)
Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) led on the bill with support from industry leaders such as FanDuel, BetMGM, and MGM Resorts International. Two dozen state affiliates also represented the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
Senate takes steps to address military problem gambling
The decision to support this topic marks the first time that gambling has become a legitimate topic of the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP).
A recent study conducted by the NCPG stated that across the past year, 20 million American adults had experienced problematic gambling behavior. The individuals who were most identified were male and/or under the age of 35, who were gambling weekly, seeing gambling as a “good way” to make money, and had both participated in fantasy and online sports betting.
Senator Ben Ray Luján said on the bill that “Servicemembers and Veterans facing gambling addiction deserve the same level of support and understanding we’ve worked to build around PTSD, depression, and other behavioral health challenges.”
In fiscal year 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act placed a mandate for gambling disorder screenings for military personnel, but struggled according to the NPCG, stating that this initial approach required further “federal research funding, military and local VA clinicians lack the data and tools necessary to facilitate early intervention or provide evidence-based care.”
Veterans and active personnel at risk of gambling pitfalls
A sorrowful statistic discovered by the NCPG and the work of Senator Luján discovered that 40% of Veterans who have had or may have experienced a form of gambling addiction have also attempted to commit suicide. Military personnel were also highlighted to be two times more at risk than civilians when it comes to problem gambling.
The Senate will now consider the Senate Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2026 and will decide on the inclusion of the measures that Senator Luján, the NPCG, and leading lights in the gambling industry have supported.
“This provision is a critical step toward recognizing the realities our military community faces and ensuring the federal government invests in the basic, foundational research needed to support recovery,” concluded Senator Luján.
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