Oregon Problem Gambling Helpline

History and Rationale

• Undersecretary of Defense Leslye Arsht told CNN that machines on bases and posts provide "a controlled alternative to unmonitored host-nation gambling venues and offer a higher payment percentage, making it more entertainment oriented than at typical casinos. Department of Defense policy authorizes the military services to operate gaming and/or other amusement machines in overseas locations only, unless prohibited by host-country laws or agreements.” www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/22/military.gambling/index.html
• Slot machines have been on some military bases since the 1930s. The machines were banned from domestic military bases in 1951, but enjoyed a resurgence in the 1960s. They were removed from Army and Air Force bases in 1972, after more than a dozen people were court-martialed for skimming cash from slot machines in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Fifteen hundred machines remained on Navy and Marine Corps bases overseas, and in 1980 the Army and Air Force began restoring machines at many overseas bases. According to the military, approximately 4,150 modern video slot machines are on military bases in nine countries today. www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/glr.2006.10.524
• Slot machines are "a very profitable operation," said Peter Isaacs, chief operating officer of the Army’s Community and Family Support Center, which runs the largest slot machine program. "But we do not operate them strictly to extract profit. Our soldiers have told us they want access to the same games and gambling opportunities available to the civilians they are defending." www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/glr.2006.10.524