European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 6, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday March 6, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 3 chronic gamblers can change their Luck Hanau support group helps them Deal with compulsion to bet by Connie Dickey staff writer Hanau Germany after accumulating More than $30,000 in gambling debts the army sergeant realized he needed help. When i began gambling i owed about $2,500 for furniture and that was All. Within two years 1 had this enormous amount of Money i owed and i decided it had to  through the efforts of the Hanau army Community services financial Counselor Vicky May he Learned of the Gambler s support group. He now recognizes his problem and sees himself overcoming it. I was a chronic Gambler. It started at my last duty station when my family was t with me. I was bored. There were a few Guys in my unit that would get together for monthly Nickel and dime poker games and they invited me to attend. From there i started going to legalized card games then it was Glot machines and Bingo. When 1 got Here the problem did t go away. It just got worse. I started writing bad checks and was sent to acs for financial counselling. Vicky May was interested and she helped me realize i have a  the Soldier who has been married for 12 years said his wife has been understanding of his problem. But she and their five children have had to do without Many things he said. Now things Are better for them. I m getting my debt lower and my wife and i Are communicating More. The children were never exposed to the card games but i was never Home for them. We re spending time together  May who holds a degree in social work began work ing with acs in january 1984. Something needed to be done to help these people Deal with today but plan for tomorrow May said. That s when i started figuring out the pattern of the Gambler and wanted to do something to  she said two reasons for gambling Are Given by All the participants boredom and loneliness. It s a madness that takes Over your body the sols a photo by Gus Schuelter Many participants in the Gambler s support group started gambling by getting involved in card games. Dier said. I can remember going into a card game with $50 and saying when i win $200 i will quit. But i be won More than $600 and kept playing until i lost it All. When 1 lost i Felt As Low As i could feel but the drive was still  May said this is not unusual. The compulsive Gambler is like the compulsive Alco Holic she said. Their self esteem is Low very Low but that inner drive that adrenaline Rush makes the habit very hard to  May said gamblers have Learned a habit and it can be unlearned but they must be taught How. The Soldier said he still gets the urge to Gamble but tries to keep Busy with a part time Job and athletic activities. I realize i will never be cured he said. I still get the urge to Gamble. In fact i exchanged phone num Bers with another participant but we be never called each other. I be Learned that when the urge gets too Strong to try an alternative and look at my  during the first support group which May con ducted in october the 10 participants were ordered to attend by their commanders. The sessions were con ducted for an hour during duty time and those in the group knew everyone else in the group. This created a lot of animosity she said. May has come up with a different approach for the second group. Our next class starting March 19, will be on a voluntary basis she said. The classes will be held at night and the members will be in civilian clothes. No names will be used unless the member wants to Tell his  May said there is enough interest to have a voluntary program. Since word got out that acs had started a Gambl ers group we be gotten Calls from interested people she said. I received one Call from an officer but be cause of his rank he Felt he could t attend during duty time. I m hoping this arrangement will encourage More people to seek  even though Only men were in the first group May said women also share the same problem. The second group includes one Active duty woman and one woman family member. We be gotten phone Calls from females since we started so we re hoping this will encourage More women to seek help May said. Troops now reaping benefits of Slot revenues by Bob Hoye staff writer Twenty years ago Slot machines helped finance cheap food and drink at military clubs. The Best of entertainment was free. Slots enjoyed a sugar daddy image that often was deserved. Now All that has changed. After a 10-year ban from army and air Force clubs following the Vietnam club scandals slots returned in 1982 under a new set of rules. Built into the rules were safeguards that preclude club managers from using Slot revenues As a Crutch. Contrary to the expectations of some club patrons the return of Slot machines did not bring lower food and drink prices. Instead club prices have increased. But to military officials responsible for bringing the machines Back that s no sur prise. The machines were returned they said to raise funds for the improvement of troop morale and welfare. Only with such objectives officials say could the return of machines be justified after the Vietnam investigations revealed widespread skimming of Slot machine Money. Unlike the army and air Force the Navy never took the Slot machines out claiming it had adequate controls. Prior to the full scale return of machines in 1982, the army and air Force moved with caution conducting a year Long test. In addition to tighter controls a change in the distribution of Slot machine Revenue marked the return. In the 1960s Many club managers pro cured their own machines kept their own books and hired their own Slot mechanics. When the army and air Force decided to return machines they put out bids for bulk contracts. Independent observers now must be present whenever a machine is opened either to collect Money or to make repairs. Security also has improved with the new generation of machines. Counters record the input and payout of coins and each opening of a machine. And clubs no longer have direct custody of Slot machine Money. Instead the army earmarks profits Pri Marily for capital improvements of recreational facilities and the air Force uses them to upgrade its club system As a whole. Records from the 1960s show that Usa eur and Safe clubs derived As much As 18 percent and 30 percent respectively of their income from Slot machines. Now clubs receive limited funds to cover costs of operating the machines. Under the current program usar eur clubs will receive direct payments of Between $2 million and $3 million this year from Slot machines a figure that is based on 10 percent of Gross Revenue Esti mated at about $27 million. That s an improvement. Until Jan. 1 of this year clubs received just 5 percent of Gross income said it. Col. Peter Isaacs who runs the army Slot machine program in Europe. The remaining 90 percent of the Usa eur Slot machine pie is divided into equal thirds after operating expenses have been deducted. Recipients Are Usa eur he the communities operating the machines and the department of the army. Morale welfare and recreation officials at Safe report Slot machine reve nue totalled $10.2 million in the 1985 Fis Cal year. Of this 39 percent or $4 million went to individual clubs. But after operating expenses were deducted the net income to clubs was just $1.9 million. Other distributions of Safe Slot machine Revenue go to the air Force welfare Board 32 percent Safe 25 percent and local Central base funds 4 percent. Mar officials refer to slots As recreation machines a name that emphasizes their entertainment value As opposed to their Appeal As gambling devices. Under current policy machines return 93 percent of the Money wagered to play ers compared to 86 percent in the past. Services hitting Jackpot with Slot machines by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington four years after the army and air Force decided to reinstate Slot machines in overseas military clubs the one armed bandits continue to Rake in Money in increasing proportions. In fiscal 1985, the machines netted $26.2 million for the army compared to the fiscal 1984 total of $16 million according to service statistics. The air Force also saw its revenues jump from $18.7 million in fiscal 1984 to $22.1 million last fiscal year. The Navy which has had Slot machines in its clubs for Many years also saw an increase in Slot machine revenues. The Navy took in More than $7.8 million up from fiscal 1984 s total of $7.2 million. And while non gamblers May turn up their noses at the activity even they reap benefits from the millions of coins that pass through the machines. All three services plow most of the earnings Back into base construction and morale welfare and recreation programs. The Navy which has 2,089 machines in 25 communities lets local clubs retain 75 percent of the earnings while the other 25 percent is sent to the naval military personnel come in Washington for disburse ment to subordinate commands for capital improvements. The army has 4,900 machines in about 300 facilities. Two thirds of army earnings Are shared by the major commands and the earning communities for use in Capi Tal improvement and mar programs. The air Force disburses earnings from its 2,409 machines located in 107 facilities on a wider basis. Last fiscal year the air Force Central membership association fund received $5.1 million to cover machine costs and support open mess construction programs. Air Force major command open mess funds received $6 million. Base open messes received $10.1 million for capital expenditures facility improvements entertain ment and to cover machine overhead costs. Base welfare funds got $900,000 to support mar programs. Earnings from the machines have increased each year since the army and air Force reintroduced them after a 10-year hiatus