th st congress session s. 1439

II

115TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1439

To require the Secretary of Defense to include gambling disorder in health

assessments for members of the Armed Forces and related research

efforts of the Department of Defense.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

JUNE 26, 2017

Ms. WARREN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL To require the Secretary of Defense to include gambling

disorder in health assessments for members of the Armed

Forces and related research efforts of the Department

of Defense.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1

tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Preventing and Treat-4

ing Gambling Disorder in the Military Act of 2017’’. 5

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6

Congress makes the following findings: 7

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(1) Gambling disorder is a public health con-1

cern characterized by increasing preoccupation with 2

gambling, loss of control, restlessness, or irritability 3

when attempting to stop gambling, and continuation 4

of the gambling behavior in spite of mounting seri-5

ous, negative consequences. 6

(2) Gambling disorder is an addiction similar to 7

substance-use disorders, such as those associated 8

with alcohol and drugs. 9

(3) Gambling disorder is associated with a high-10

er risk of suicide attempts, substance-use disorders, 11

and other mental-health conditions, in addition to 12

being associated with financial and legal problems. 13

(4) According to the National Council on Prob-14

lem Gambling, it is estimated that as many as 15

56,000 active duty members of the Armed Forces 16

meet criteria for gambling disorder. 17

(5) However, according to the Department of 18

Defense, only about 120 military personnel were di-19

agnosed with gambling disorder or were seen for 20

problem gambling each year between fiscal year 21

2011 and fiscal year 2015. 22

(6) Less than 10 percent of people with gam-23

bling problems seek help due to shame, stigma, and 24


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misunderstanding of the nature of gambling dis-1

order. 2

(7) In addition to factors specified in paragraph 3

(6), military personnel might not seek help for gam-4

bling problems due to lack of services specific to 5

problem gambling and fear of jeopardizing their ca-6

reer or security clearance. 7

(8) According to a 2017 report by the Govern-8

ment Accountability Office— 9

(A) the Department of Defense operates 10

more than 3,100 slot machines at military in-11

stallations overseas that are available to mem-12

bers of the Armed Forces and their families; 13

(B) those slot machines generate approxi-14

mately $100,000,000 in revenue for the Depart-15

ment, which is used for further recreational ac-16

tivities for members of the Armed Forces; 17

(C) the Department and the Coast Guard 18

do not systematically screen for gambling dis-19

order; and 20

(D) the Department and the Coast Guard 21

do not address gambling disorder in a similar 22

manner to other addictive disorders, such as al-23

cohol-related disorders. 24


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SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF GAMBLING DISORDER IN HEALTH 1

ASSESSMENTS AND RELATED RESEARCH EF-2

FORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE. 3

(a) ANNUAL PERIODIC HEALTH ASSESSMENT.—The 4

Secretary of Defense shall incorporate medical screening 5

questions specific to gambling disorder into the Annual 6

Periodic Health Assessment (DD Form 3024) conducted 7

by the Department of Defense for members of the Armed 8

Forces. 9

(b) RESEARCH EFFORTS.—The Secretary shall incor-10

porate into ongoing research efforts of the Department 11

questions on gambling disorder, as appropriate, including 12

by restoring such questions into the Health Related Be-13

haviors Survey of Active Duty Military Personnel. 14

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The least risky thing you can do is taking advantage of no out-of-pocket cost counseling available to

Kansas residents who are concerned about their gambling or someone they care about.

800-522-4700It’s CONFIDENTIAL, 24/7, and quite possibly the first

step to turning things around.

Understanding the risks and asking for help.

Gamblers Anonymouswww.gamblersanonymous.org

Family and Friendswww.KSgamblingHelp.com/help-for-family-a-friends.html

Gam-Anonwww.gam-anon.org

Military OneSource800-342-9647

www.MilitaryOneSource.com

Military Family Life Consultant (MFLC)Personal Financial Consultant (PFC)

Child and Youth Services (CYS)Director, Psychological Health (DPH)

JFHQ-KS Chaplain

KSgamblingHelp.comwww.KSgamblingHelp.com has links to important

information for affected and concerned others about no-cost help for themselves, and the organizations across

Kansas are dedicated to assisting problem gamblers, friends, and family.

If you’re a Kansas resident there’s no out-of-pocket cost help:

800-522-4700

Have you ever tried to stop, cut down, or control your gambling?

Have you ever lied to family members, friends or others about how much you gamble or how much money you lost on gambling?

Have there been periods lasting 2 weeks or longer when you spent a lot of time thinking about your gambling experiences, or planning out future gambling ventures or bets?

KNOW YOUR LIMITSAnswering “Yes” to any of these

QUESTIONS(1) SHOULD BE AN ALARM.

These are the warning signs of a gambling problem and that you’re at risk of losing a lot more than you bet on.

(1) NODS CliP: National Opinion Diagnostic Survey Problem Gambling Self-Assessment

GAMBLINGIN THE

MILITARY

800-522-4700KSgamblingHelp.com Department for Aging

and Disability Services

• Studies consistently find gambling addiction rates among active-duty and veterans are significantly higher than the general population.

• With free time often taking place in secluded areas with limited access to entertainment, some service members choose to gamble to pass time and enjoy its thrill. Gamblers also bet as a way to cope with boredom, loneliness, anger, stress and depression.

• At least 3,000 slot machines at military installations overseas are available to members of the Armed Forces and their families.

Identify TRUTH FROM MYTH Gambling in the MilitaryThere are plenty of myths out there about gambling, so let’s take a few minutes and separate myth from truth

Slots at Ramstein AFB Officer’s Club

TRUTH or MYTH?

TRUTH or MYTH?

TRUTH or MYTH?

TRUTH or MYTH?

MYTH

MYTH

TRUTH

MYTH

Problems caused by excessive gambling only affect the gambler.

It’s easy to spot the signs of problem gambling,

Military personnel thathave experienced at least

one gambling-relatedproblem in their lifetime

Problem gambling is treatable.

Controlling problem gambling is a matter ofwill power.

The harmful effects of problem gambling are more than just financial and can negatively

impact important relationships. It can lead to a breakdown of important relationships with family, peers and loved ones and can affect one’s emotional and mental well being. If gambling is causing financial, emotional, relationship or legal difficulties for them-

selves or the people around them, they have a gambling problem.

Problem Gambling is a hidden addiction as it has few visible symptoms unlike an alcohol or smoking addiction. Many problem gamblers

may not acknowledge that they have a gambling problem until they are in serious financial diffi-

culty or there is a breakdown in family relations.

The good news is that people do recover from problem gambling. Recovery begins with the desire to change, and the person with a gam-

bling addiction is more likely to stay away from gambling with the right support. It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Honesty

and perseverance are key factors in recovery.

Like other compulsive and addictive behaviors, problem gambling is most effectively treated

through professional counseling from a trained problem gambling counselor.

6.3%

Frequent/increased gamblingPreoccupation with gambling and moneyBorrowing moneyGambling to win back losses (chasing)

800-522-4700www.KSgamblingHelp.com

A Few Warning Signs of Problem Gambling

th st congress session s. 1439

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