In my earliest days volunteering with Kindbridge Research Institute (KRI), I didn’t yet have the vocabulary, or frankly, the awareness, to explain why some service members struggle in silence with gambling. I’ll never forget learning that there were slot machines on overseas bases, including the one I worked on, less than a quarter mile from my office, on Panzerkaserne in Germany. It was a jarring realization that the opportunity to gamble wasn’t just “out there” somewhere; it lived inside the rhythms of military life, often out of sight, rarely discussed. Later, I’d discover that the Department of Defense operates thousands of slot machines on overseas bases and that gambling disorder is more prevalent among veterans than the general public, facts that reframed my sense of urgency.
That early shock is part of what propelled us to build our Military Research Associate Program (MRAP). MRAP embedded veteran trainees alongside researchers and clinicians to examine the systems, policies, and culture that shape help-seeking. What we learned still guides our work: DoD slots lacked formal responsible gambling measures; compared to state policies, DoD ranked last when compared to states, on the American Gaming Associations “State of the States” RG scorecard; and experts across government, industry, and academia agreed current harm-reduction practices were insufficient. Most importantly, we heard from veterans that culture, stoicism, stigma, and fear of career impact, can muzzle honest conversations until harms escalate. Those insights were sobering, but they also gave us a roadmap: policy clarity, practical tools, and culture change have to move together.
During the early days of MRAP, KRI put its best foot forward, by additionally launching 50×4 Vets, a multi-center, multi-year initiative designed to do what the field had failed to do for decades: generate sustained, veteran-centered research and better clinical answers at scale. Veterans carry a higher burden of gambling harm, amplified by trauma exposure and co-occurring conditions, yet the research base and care pathways have lagged. 50×4 Vets addresses that gap by leveraging existing treatment infrastructure, making multi-year commitments, and coordinating across centers so knowledge moves faster and farther. It’s been instrumental in highlighting how stigma, within units, families, and care systems, still blocks the front door to help.
The science has continued to reinforce what we see on the ground. Inpatient samples show meaningful links between gambling preferences, PTSD, and coping: veterans with PTSD are more likely to prefer non-strategic forms of play (e.g., slots), which can become an “escape” cycle; and co-occurring substance use disorders are common, complicating care and recovery. Those realities don’t reduce to willpower, they reflect psychology, environment, and access. If we want better outcomes, we must lower the threshold to care and change the conversation that keeps people from stepping forward in the first place.
Earlier this month, it was exciting to announce Stigma Stand Down (SSD), a Colorado-wide initiative to confront stigma, break down barriers, and foster resilience among service members,veterans, and families. Inspired by military “safety stand-downs,” SSD asks leaders and communities to pause, learn, and act – together. Here’s what that looks like in practice:
• Education & resources built for real life: practical, no-jargon webinars and short videos on gambling disorder, mental health, financial literacy, and stigma reduction—mobile-first and ready for leaders, families, and providers to use immediately.
• Free, confidential care through our partnership with Kindbridge Behavioral Health, a specialized telehealth provider for gaming, gambling, and mental health. If a self-check lights up concern, help is a click away, not a maze of referrals and funnel of fear for one’s career.
• Statewide outreach that reaches rural and under-served communities, including veteran-led stories, on-base and community distributions, and targeted campaigns designed to normalize help-seeking as a sign of strength.
• Anonymous self-assessment via a modified Brief Biosocial Gambling Screener, with quick feedback that can turn uncertainty into a tangible plan.
All of it is built on the momentum of MRAP, 50×4 Vets, and our wider military work, ultimately translating into a Colorado-specific effort to shift norms and open doors.
We’re grateful for the partners who made SSD possible. The Colorado Department of Gaming has been an essential public anchor, enabling a statewide, evidence-based response with mental health at the center. Kindbridge Behavioral Health is the clinical backbone that turns “immediate, confidential care” into reality. FanDuel’s support powers 24/7 coverage on 1-844-FREEVET, our military helpline, in Colorado. And Cactus Advertising Agency has been our creative engine, crafting messages that honor military culture while challenging the silence that harms it. We’re proud of this coalition and eager to welcome more allies who share our commitment to service members and their families.
Most of all, we’re excited about what’s to come. Colorado gives us a proving ground to show that if you pair fast-track care and culturally attuned storytelling, you can move the needle, on shame, on help-seeking, and on recovery. Culture change doesn’t happen in a single announcement; it happens because communities choose to stand down from stigma and stand up for one another.
If you’re a leader, bookmark the SSD resource hub and build a five-minute talk into your next formation or team meeting. If you’re a spouse or friend worried about someone you love, encourage them to take the self-check. If you’re a provider, plug our materials into your intake and screening flow. Small actions, repeated, become protective culture.
From Panzerkaserne to the Front Range, the message is the same: strength is asking for help, and we’re here to make that easier, faster, and more private than ever. Let’s get to work.