Gambling in the USA

New study shows potentially alarming link between military service and gambling disorder

Published

12 months ago

October 17, 2022

Gaspar Incze

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Research carried out by University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and Bowling Green State University reveals rate of problem gambling among active duty military was 3.5 times higher than among civilians
Rate of problem gambling among active duty military was 68.6% compared with 18.7% among civilians
Of the 102 active duty personnel who completed the survey, 70 screened positive for problem gambling

At yesterday’s International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) Conference on Gambling and Addiction in Las Vegas, Shane W Kraus, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, UNLV, and Joshua Grubbs, Ph.D., Bowling Green State University, revealed a potentially huge and alarming discrepancy between problem gambling amongst the military community compared with civilians.

With research scarce in this field, Dr. Kraus’ research was funded by behavioral health expert Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI) to analyze data from a large, sample of military personnel, representing one of the first longitudinal studies of gambling in this group.

The study of 3,050 US civilians, veterans and active duty military showed the rate of problem gambling among active duty military (68.6%) was 3.5 times higher than among civilians (18.7%). While the sample of 102 active duty service members who completed the survey was relatively small, 70 of them screened positive for problem gambling.

Following his presentation on Monday, Dr. Kraus, said: “Our findings suggest that more comprehensive research is needed to fully understand how widespread the issue of problem gambling is among active duty personnel. Current trends in the data suggest there could potentially be many service members with unmet treatment needs for problem gambling.”

KRI is leading the drive for greater awareness, research and treatment for US veterans suffering from gambling disorder via its Military Research Associate Program (MRAP), which assists veterans transitioning from military service to advanced training in mental health treatment and research, and its 50x4Vets project, whose goal is to increase the rate of research on treatment for veterans with gambling disorder by 50-times in the next four years.

This research was supported by donations to KRI from DraftKings and Playtech. The data was collected as part of funding awarded to Drs. Joshua Grubbs and Shane Kraus for their work on sports betting from the ICRG.

Commenting on Dr. Kraus’ findings, Nathan D.L. Smith, PhD, Executive Director of Kindbridge Research Institute, said: “This really is a ‘canary in a coal mine’ moment. Because of the sampling method and small sample size, the rate of problem gambling in this sample cannot be generalized to the wider active duty military community. However, the significant rate of gambling problems in active duty military is a major red flag and larger, more representative studies of active duty military are now vital to determine what the true rate of gambling disorder is in this population.”

The US Department of Defense (DoD) operate over 3,000 slot machines on overseas bases that produce over $100 million dollars of revenue each year. A recent review of the responsible gambling policies mandated by states and the DoD by KRI placed the DoD worst out of the 36 jurisdictions with legal slot machine gambling.

Dr. Smith said: “Our review concluded that the DoD requires only one of the ten responsible gambling policies recommended by the American Gaming Association, while the average number of responsible gambling policies required in the other 35 states was just over seven.”

Another major issue facing military personnel suffering from gambling disorder is seemingly a discouragement from seeking help.

Dr Smith added: “Active duty military seek help for problem gambling at significantly lower rates than the civilian population. The reasons for this are likely complex, but a major factor may be that active duty military can face consequences in their career, including discharge, if they report a gambling problem to military medical staff.

“People with untreated gambling problems can get caught in a destructive cycle of negative feelings and gambling to escape those feelings, which leads to more negative emotions. In a situation where treatment is not available, these harmful spirals can cause significant damage to a person’s home life, career, mental health, and finances.

“In severe cases, a person in a negative spiral can exhibit suicidal behavior. In fact, in one study, 40% of US veterans receiving treatment for gambling problems reported a suicide attempt.”

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Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – September 18-24

Published

5 days ago

September 26, 2023

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

SB22 has introduced Lucky22, a first-of-its-kind wager placement streamlining system that is fully integrated into its proprietary K22 self-service gaming kiosk. The patent-pending Lucky22 button provides the player with a set of simple, tailored wagering offers, which can adjust the bet and amount wagered based on how much the player wants to win.

Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, a Native American Tribe in Southern California, has standardised its growing business and government operations on Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications Suite to support its mission of being a self-sustaining, independent Tribe.

Several points in Shawnee, Okla., are shining brighter now that JCM Global has installed numerous outdoor digital signs for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Monument now glows with a 10mm Mitsubishi NXL Series measuring 9.5 feet wide x 5 feet high and enables the Tribe to dynamically communicate messages to members and visitors.

In an effort to combat illegal gaming activities, Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director Henry Williams recently met with Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley and State Rep. Cynthia Neeley (D-Flint) to discuss strategies to help deter and crack down on illegal gaming operations in the city.

Win Systems is going to attend G2E Las Vegas, to be held October 10–12 at the Venetian Expo. The company will be at the same booth as last year, #4447, where visitors will be able to see and learn first-hand about all the latest innovations designed to optimise casino operations and player experience.

edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U Inc., and global technology leader HP Inc. announced a new online Professional Certificate programme in Esports Management, Game Design, and Programming to bring cutting-edge skills to learners globally.

CT Gaming has officially announced its attendance at G2E 2023, taking place in Las Vegas from 10-12 October. The Expo is recognised across the industry as a crucible of innovation and business opportunities, where CT Gaming will be presenting a blend of its legacy products and new developments at stand 2050.

INTELITY announced that it will exhibit at the 2023 Global Gaming Expo from October 9–12 at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. During G2E 2023, INTELITY will highlight the latest updates to its cloud-based Platform R5, as well as its newly updated API capabilities, both used by dozens of casinos around the world.

Partnerships

SharpLink Gaming announced that SaharaBets will be the first U.S. sports betting operator to begin integration of SharpLink’s innovative new C4 BetSense technology into its online betting platform.

CT Interactive has signed a distribution deal with Vivelo24. Through this agreement, the Mexican players will get the chance to experience the amazing products of the leading online provider CT Interactive.

Playtech has announced its continued partnership with betPARX. Under this collaboration, betPARX has integrated Playtech’s industry-leading IMS platform and native mobile applications to power its launch in Maryland.

With the grand opening of The Queen Baton Rouge, the first land-based casino in the city, The Queen Casino & Entertainment has successfully launched Konami Gaming’s SYNKROS casino management system.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – September 11-17

Published

2 weeks ago

September 19, 2023

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

Potawatomi Hotel & Casino has opened the second phase of its $190m renovation project with two new gaming areas; ElevenHundred and the Atrium, offering more slots, table games, new bars and new restaurants.

Tipico Sportsbook has launched a new digital marketing campaign for the NFL and college football season. Named “Bet Against Your Rival,” this initiative engages NFL fans in Colorado, Ohio and New Jersey, where Tipico operates. The eligible customers in these states will receive weekly bet credits, allowing them to bet against their home team’s historic rivals.

Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse platforms have introduced the Prop Central offering to coincide with the start of the NFL season. The product presents multiple player prop wagering options in one location, allowing bettors to navigate through the range of markets with fewer clicks.

Caesars Entertainment, in partnership with Keeneland and Red Mile Gaming & Racing, celebrated the grand opening of Caesars Sportsbook at Red Mile. The more than 4600-square-foot sportsbook in Lexington is the only retail sportsbook in Central Kentucky.

Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel has been named the winner in two categories in the 2023 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. First for the Best Casino Outside of Las Vegas, ranked No. 1 among fans nationwide; and Yaamava’s fine dining restaurant, The Pines Modern Steakhouse, was also voted the “Best Casino Restaurant” this year.

Mohegan INSPIRE has appointed Chen Si as its President and Wade Howk as its chief operating officer. As President, Chen Si will guide strategic planning and operational results at Mohegan INSPIRE. As COO, Wade Howk will serve as the second in command at the property and assist the President, Chen Si, in carrying out his duties.

Betfred USA has appointed Kresimir Spajic as its new CEO. He will spearhead the sportsbook’s vision, strategy and operational execution across ten US states, which include the likes of Colorado, Ohio and Nevada.

Partnerships

Table Trac Inc. announced it has signed an agreement to replace a competitor’s system with the CasinoTrac casino management system, for the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior at Legendary Waters Resort and Casino, in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

Braight AI has formed a strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Mexico. The collaboration marks a significant milestone for Braight as it extends its international reach and harnesses the power of AWS cloud services to equip financial institutions in Mexico to make informed data-driven decisions, mitigate risks and optimise their marketing strategies.

Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading enterprise solutions provider, announced an extension of their partnership with Black Oak Casino & Resort. Building on the success of the QCI Enterprise Platform, Black Oak will now incorporate the QCI Power Pack and Events modules to elevate guest satisfaction and bolster profitability.

Genius Sports Limited has struck a new partnership with Snap Inc. to power immersive augmented reality (AR) fan experiences via Snapchat Lenses. Genius Sports will help to power the next wave of Snapchat Lenses through NFL Official League Data, providing millions of fans with phone-based, highly shareable content.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – September 4-10

Published

3 weeks ago

September 12, 2023

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

MGM Resorts International and BetMGM announced that they are launching a responsible gaming campaign at nine National Football League (NFL) stadiums, promoting their responsible gaming programme GameSense during this football season. With this development, MGM Resorts and BetMGM are among the first gaming operators to promote responsible gaming through marketing within League venues.

Mobile sports betting is coming to Kentucky, and Caesars Entertainment announced that its flagship sports wagering app, Caesars Sportsbook, is now available for download and registration. Sports fans who want to prepare for the launch of mobile sports wagering can download the Caesars Sportsbook app on iOS and Android or visit caesars.com/sportsbook on desktop to register and take advantage of a special early deposit offer when depositing between September 7 and 27.

Pragmatic Play has launched a localised Roulette table for operators in Brazil. Creating its first Brazilian Portuguese-language version of its leading Live Casino product, the new release includes Pragmatic Play’s signature high-quality studio, boasting a 4K immersive view which Brazilian operators will now benefit from.

BetMGM announced that Buffalo, a land-based casino favourite, is now available at its online casino. BetMGM is the world’s first online casino to offer the Buffalo slot. Buffalo now is available to play at BetMGM in New Jersey and the operator plans to launch the game in the near future in Pennsylvania and Michigan.

SharpLink Gaming announced the successful launch of LeagueSafe’s new, highly rated mobile app, with over 16,000 downloads by fantasy sports players since the app’s debut in Google Play and the Apple App Store in early August.

Betr Holdings announced it has officially launched its real money sportsbook product in Virginia, its third real money online sports betting (OSB) state following Ohio and Massachusetts. The Betr Fantasy & Sportsbook app is available on the iOS store and the Betr – Microbetting app is available on the Google Play store.

Century Casinos announced that it completed the sale of the real estate assets of Century Casino & Hotel Edmonton, Century Casino St. Albert and Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta and Century Downs Racetrack and Casino in Calgary, Alberta (collectively, the Century Canadian Portfolio) to subsidiaries of VICI Properties Inc. for an aggregate purchase price of CAD 221.7 million (USD 162.4 million) in cash.

Gaming Laboratories International is now the first laboratory accredited in the State of Paraná and the first laboratory to be accredited following a formal laboratory accreditation process in Brazil. The milestone achievement builds on GLI’s 25 years of service to the gaming industry throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Partnerships

Bravery Gaming and Konami Gaming announced a groundbreaking partnership that will revolutionise the Coin Operated Amusement Machine (COAM) landscape in Georgia. Konami has chosen Bravery Gaming to be the exclusive distributor of its games in regulated non-casino markets, beginning with the state of Georgia.

SCCG Management announced a strategic partnership with the innovative sports league, Pillow Fight Championship (PFC). This collaboration aims to elevate PFC’s global stature, leveraging SCCG’s extensive experience with sports leagues and teams across North America.