Veteran’s Day
As Veteran’s Day descends upon us, we must collectively take a moment an honor them brave men and women that have served our country. There are over 20 million living veterans in the United States, so chances are you know one of these brave Americans.
It doesn’t take much, but make a plan today to do something kind for a veteran. While we have a ways to go in how we care for our warriors after their service is up, the least we can do as a society is show them respect.
But caring about our military is so much more than lip service. The military needs real reform, particularly in the area of gambling.
You read that right, gambling.
You may think that our organization is anti-gambling, which could not be further from the truth. We are gambling neutral and recognize that for most people, gambling is a leisure activity that does not negatively impair one’s functioning.
However, we do take issue when there is an obvious lack of resources available for those negatively affected by problem gambling. For years, the U.S. generates more than $100 million per year on slot machines located in bases around the world from soldiers gambling, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.
As the United States government profits off gambling on bases, they must invest in prevention, responsible gaming, and treatment programs. It is estimated that there are over 3,000 slot machines at over 800 military bases around the globe. These gambling apparatuses generate additional revenue for the Department of Defense.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have gambled on bases around the world. It is estimated that there are upwards of 30,000 active soldiers who may show signs of problem gambling.
For veterans who return to Florida, we serve as a free resource. By calling our helpline, Veterans get access to a wide array of resources. Our helpline specialists connect callers to support groups, disseminate resources, and place callers in our Recovery Path Program; which is a program that we link callers up with certified gambling counseling, paying for the entire counseling experience.
As a society, we all must do our part to help and honor our nation’s heroes. Do your part. If you have someone in your life that could benefit from our services, share this blog post!
