Nicole Schwegman echoed that argument, telling NPR the machines 'contribute significantly to the non-appropriated fund and many other recreation and entertainment overseas programs.' The machines are managed by the MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) groups of the respective military branches, which purport to 'deliver high-quality, customer-focused programs and services that contribute to resiliency, retention, readiness and quality of life.'Ī Pentagon report in the early 2000s claimed that without the slot machines, the MWR groups would not be able to afford other amenities for military members such as golf courses and family activity centers. The military's last accounting in 2017 showed that the machines are located on bases in 12 countries– mostly run by the Army.
Two decades later, the Army and Air Force removed them from all foreign bases as well, only to restore the foreign slot machines in the 1980s. In 1951, Congress banned slot machines from domestic military bases after passing legislation to that effect. Slots have had a contentious history in the military And they can be played by service members as young as 18 – individuals who wouldn't be allowed to enter most casinos in the U.S. Slots are often found on bases where there is precious little to do, like Diego Garcia – a 12-sq.-mile island in the Indian Ocean with a population of just over 4,000 people – where the Navy runs 52 slot machines.
