The National Council on Problem Gambling and the President of the Board of Directors, Derek Longmeier, have welcomed the latest step towards helping members of the US military to begin addressing gambling-related issues.
Military personnel are affected by gambling – new funding wants to find out how exactly
The occasion for this statement has become the decision by the Senate Appropriations Committee to include a new and key provision in the FY26 Senate Defense Appropriations Bill that would now allocate money to research gambling addiction.
This is the first time that money has been allocated for this specific reason, and the funding will be funneled through the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program or PRMRP.
Commenting on this financial commitment, Longmeier explained that it was a long-overdue action and that it came at an important junction. At least 20 million Americans are showing signs of gambling-related problems, and veterans, as well as active and reserve service members, are more likely than the general population to experience those.
"The Committee's action will finally give researchers, local VA clinicians, and military health officials the ability to better understand and address gambling addiction among those who serve," Longmeier said.
Longmeier thanked the NCPG’s allies in Congress for their assistance in putting this important item on the agenda and bringing it to a positive outcome. Sen. BenRayLuján has similarly spoken about the issue and what it means for ordinary Americans, and especially members of the military – both present and past.
Bringing the issue into the public space and ear
"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," Sen. Luján explained.
According to the senator, the measure will help recognize one of the most overlooked realities – that the military community faces an unaddressed gambling-related problem.
The fact that more funding will be allocated to address gambling addiction among veterans is important as it broaches the sensitive topic, brings it into the public space, and also makes it easier to secure much-needed funding to overcome the issue.