Brightly lit slot machines, some with military-themed displays, entice visitors at the Ramstein, Germany, enlisted club. Congressman wants to ban gambling machines on base, military says they aren’t a problem By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, January 29, 2008
WASHINGTON — In just a few months, “Carol” dumped nearly $21,000 into the slot machines at her Army base in Germany.
She’s not really sure why.
“The bowling alley was next door to where I worked; I started going in to eat lunch and started dropping a few coins in the machines,” said the senior noncommissioned officer, who asked that her full name not appear in print. “I won a few times; next thing you know, I was going to the bowling alley every day for lunch, and then after work.”
Carol believes she has a gambling problem, but is reluctant to seek counseling on base because she fears that her superiors may distrust or demote her if they learn about her mistakes.
“I received a lump bonus payment of over $30,000,” she said. “My plan was to pay off debts and be able to retire debt-free except for the mortgage payment. In less than four months, I had gone through the money with nothing to show for it.”
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