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The US Military Is Raking in Millions From On-Base Slot Machines
The Defense Department operates slot machines on US military bases overseas, raising tens of millions of dollars to fund recreation for troops—and creating risks for soldiers prone to gambling addiction.
Not all of ARMP cash is coming from service members—local civilians, retirees, veterans, and contractors who work on bases can also play—but a portion of the money the house generates is taken from a vulnerable population that’s literally putting their existence on the line for their country. Rachel Volberg, who worked on the original PricewaterhouseCoopers report, tells WIRED that, while she was never told exactly why they decided to take it in-house, she got the strong impression “they didn't want the money to disappear because they were using it to fund recreational activities for enlisted folks.” She remembers chaplains as the main authority figures in leadership who took the issue seriously. The final report didn’t reference new problem-gambling rates, but noted that the military couldn’t keep many of its morale operations like golf courses running “without slot machine revenue or a significant new source of cash.”
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