British Army Veterans Are Nearly 11 Times More Likely to Suffer from Gambling Problems

By John Isaac,
Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac Editor at online-gambling.com

John Isaac is an editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He writes expert articles on card games like blackjack and poker. In addition, he is also well aware of the US gambling laws and the Indian and Dutch gambling markets. You can rely on verified information and insightful details.

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Last updated: November 8, 2021

The UK Veterans’ Health and Gambling Study is the British first study of betting among military veterans. Their findings, published a few days ago in the British Medical Journal, may alert some.

The survey concluded that veterans are nearly 11 times more likely to become problem gamblers than the general public.

The researchers examined 1,037 veterans and women who claimed to have gambled. The result was compared to a sample of 2,185 general public who also participated, with their respective age and gender groups.

In the 1st group, 43% were problem gamblers on the Problem Gambling Severity Index, compared with 6.5 in the 2nd group.

Cost of Addiction

Although the survey was observational and therefore could not pinpoint the exact reason, the researchers recommend that the ex-military ‘betting problems are associated with the veterans’ military experience. Research shows that this service is known to be associated with increased mental and physical health needs.

They also said that there is a financial reason to screen veterans of the military for signs of gambling addiction.

According to the study, veterans report higher consumption of free health care services in the UK than non-veterans. It includes visits to a therapist, hospitalization, and meeting with welfare workers. Post-distribution and end-of-service authentication costs are usually almost low.

Findings Echo US Studies

The study mirrors similar research of current and former US military personnel. A poll by the University of Nevada last year observed that 10% of armed veterans have betting problems, related to 2.5% of the non-veterans.

According to the study, often occurs in conjunction with conditions associated with trauma, drug use, and suicide.

The National Gambling Council currently estimates that approximately 56,000 US military personnel on active duty satisfy the rules for betting addiction.

In 2018, the National Defense Act regulates the detection of betting addiction during regular DOD wellness checks.

Nevertheless, the Department of Defense has been condemned for using almost 3,000 slot machines at American armed bases overseas, raising $ 100 million a year. It is despite the ban on the use of slot machines in national establishments since 1951.

British Veterans – Higher Chances of Having Problems with Gambling

Research on gambling found that 43.1% of ex-military had problems with gambling. Compared to the general public, they found that just 6.5% had problems with betting. Ex-military is 10.88 times highly possible to have gambling problems than non-veterans.

If you observe non-problem betting, you will find 67% of the general public; That number has almost halved for veterans, as only 37.7% of them made it through the match without any problems.

About 8.4% of armed veterans engage in safe betting. In contrast, 15.3% of the general public gambled at low risk. As for gambling with moderate risk, the leaders among the general public are 11.2%. From a focus group of veterans, they found that 10.8% gambled at high risk.

Research also shows that betting increases these expenses. The study also found that veterans with a gambling addiction cost more but do not experience deterioration in the quality of life.