Kindbridge Research Institute announced that the Military Gambling Awareness Committee was created. This new initiative aims to combat gambling-related harms in the military.
In a recent press release, MGAC stated that its mission was to enhance the operational readiness and welfare of military personnel by integrating proactive and awareness measures to combat gambling-related harms in daily life. The committee is working closely with military personnel and Department of Defense officials to identify gaps in policy and make recommendations.
The MGAC, using a data driven approach, aims to improve the Department of Defense’s gambling strategy by promoting a holistic perspective on public health within the military.
Dr. Nathan D. Smith is the executive director at Kindbridge Research Institute.
In its mission to promote the mental well-being and health of servicemen, Kindbridge Research Institute has taken a major step by establishing the Military Gambling Awareness Committee. We aim to bring together an expert group that can identify the current gaps and offer comprehensive solutions for improving the health and readiness our service members.
Mark Lucia will chair the MGAC. He is a senior research associate in Kindbridge Research Institute. His personal experience with mental health issues faced by soldiers led him into a career of military mental health research.
Lucia is advised by:
- Brianne Doura-Schawohl is the founder and CEO at Doura-Schawohl Consulting LLC. She has worked as vice president of US Policy and Strategic Development for EPIC Risk Management, and was legislative director of NCPG.
- Richard Taylor is a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and senior manager at BetMGM responsible gambling.
- Joe Solosky is the managing director for sports betting at NASCAR, U.S. Naval Academy graduate
- Joseph Martin is the CEO of Kinectify and a former Marine Corps officer. He was also formerly a member of the U.S. Department of State.
- Caroline Ponseti is a communications strategist for Invariant. She was previously the media relations manager for the American Gaming Association, and the press secretary of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
- David Yeager is an 11-year U.S. Army Veteran and Gambling Addiction Recovery Advocate who works at Kindbridge Behavioral Health as an Intake Specialist and Gambling Recovery Coach.
According to the NCPG, around 56,000 military personnel meet criteria for gambling disorders. Veterans are also two-to three times as likely to have a problem gambling than civilians.
Mark Lucia is a senior research associate with Kindbridge Research Institute.
Gambling-related harms are a serious threat to the readiness and well-being of military personnel. The Military Gambling Awareness Committee aims to create a proactive and informed environment in which we can tackle these issues, creating a culture that fosters awareness and support.
Kindbridge stresses that MGAC’s efforts are aligned to assist the Department of Defense to effectively address gambling-related issues.
The committee, which has extensive contacts in the political, media and health domains as well as educational, operational and state-level athletic domains and across other areas, will be focusing on raising awareness and encouraging best practices. The approach promotes mental health initiatives and reduces stigma. It also advocates meaningful policy changes that will boost military readiness.
