We are now a nation of gamblers. Sports betting was once relegated to casinos and local bookmakers. Today, apps have put a 24-hour sportsbook directly into the pockets of Americans.
This shift carries acute risks for service members and veterans.
A month after 9/11, one of us, David Yeager, deployed to a U.S. base in South Korea, leaving behind a wife and two young children. Looking to unwind from deployment stress, he walked into an on-base hotel, was met by a room of slot machines, and played a couple hundred dollars. He won.
That momentary rush planted a seed that spiraled over the next six years into severe addiction. David wiped out his savings, went through a divorce, lost contact with his children for two years, and survived four suicide attempts. While David is now in recovery, his story captures the central vulnerability across the ranks: A high-stress environment, steady pay, and an easy escape that quickly spirals out of control.
