Should MWR still have casinos?

SSG Ed Mikus — Thu, 10 Apr 2014 13:43:52 -0400

Casinos have plaged service members since before we earned a decent wadge, i have seen Garrison/and other commanders pour a lot of effort and money into keeping casinos away from conus installations so why in MWR still allowed to place them in places where the most venerable people are?

Response by MSG Wade Huffman made Apr 11 at 2014 7:19 AM

MSG Wade Huffman — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 07:19:00 -0400

Throughout my career there were always slot machines in the overseas clubs operated by MWR. (nickle and quarter machines... but you can still pump a lot of money into them in a relatively short time should you so desire!) These machines are a revenue stream for MWR projects. I've never actually seen or heard of a casino on any installation though.

I have also seen service members and dependents get carried away and cause themselves financial hardship by playing these machines. Does this mean we should eliminate them from the club system? Does this also mean we should forbid service members from visiting legal casinos off base (CONUS and OCONUS), or from playing state sponsored lotteries? Friday night poker parties? Office pools? "friendly" bets? Horse racing? Moderation is the key... and by providing the opportunity to play the machines on post, the profit goes back into community services provided by MWR.

Response by LTC Ray Buenteo made Apr 11 at 2022 8:30 AM

LTC Ray Buenteo — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 08:30:07 -0400

How did this question turn into advertisement for online gambling ? RP is not Facebook! Everything gets corrupted.

Response by 1SG John Millan made Feb 6 at 2024 9:08 AM

1SG John Millan — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 09:08:06 -0500

It's a double edged sword: it produces revenue and is fun, but it promotes potential addiction, like on-post clubs selling alcohol.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Feb 17 at 2024 7:50 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Sat, 17 Feb 2024 19:50:41 -0500

My recollection of them in Korea was you couldn’t get near the slot machines because there were Korean Nationals wearing an ass print into the stools. I had one soldier my time there that I had a one on one conversation with about his gambling in that location. Seems to me we were paying for soldier programs through host nation donations.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2025 4:04 AM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 04:04:51 -0500

MWR keeps gaming machines overseas because they generate revenue for local programs, but the concern you’re raising is valid. The same junior troops who are most vulnerable are often the ones stationed OCONUS with limited entertainment options.
That’s why it feels inconsistent: CONUS bases avoid casinos due to risk, yet MWR relies on them overseas. Whether they should stay really depends on whether the revenue justifies the potential harm. At the very least, the policy warrants a closer look. I don't play often, but sometimes I can play slot games a few times if I feel like it. Just for fun, I don't want to win a jackpot or something. A few days ago, I found this site https://uk.notgamstop.com/ , where I read about casinos not on Gamstop, and I also found out what that is. I heard about it before, but not in detail. And the casinos are pretty interesting.

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