A Colorado-funded study of U.S. first responders found that gambling was nearly universal in the group and that large shares met criteria for current or emerging gambling problems, with firefighters and people with military experience appearing most vulnerable.
The Kindbridge Research Institute report, conducted with EPIC Global Solutions and funded through a grant from the Colorado Division of Gaming, surveyed 507 current first responders in an anonymous online questionnaire. The researchers collected 788 responses in all, then removed 281 after reliability checks left their answers unusable.
The study reported that 94.5% of respondents had gambled in the previous 12 months. Using the short-form Problem Gambling Severity Index, it found that 44% met criteria for problem gambling and 39% were at risk, while 50% screened positive for possible PTSD-related symptoms on the PCL-5.
The report said there was a strong association between PTSD symptoms and gambling-harm risk, and another between military background and gambling behavior. It also framed first responders as people who routinely face dangerous and stressful situations, and said they can rely on nonadaptive coping strategies such as avoidance and emotional disconnection, which the literature it cited linked to PTSD symptoms, burnout and other mental-health problems.
Firefighters emerged as the highest-risk first-responder group. In a breakdown reported by CDC Gaming, 49% of firefighters met problem-gambling criteria, while 42% of police officers did. That same account said 69.6% of participants currently serving in the military met problem-gambling criteria, compared with 36.5% of those with no military experience.
The report said gambling problems may be a significant but hidden issue among first responders in the United States, and called for greater recognition, proactive prevention and structured support initiatives. It also urged education and screening tailored to different roles, with gambling checks folded into existing mental-health and wellness programmes.
The study was released on the first day of Responsible Gaming Education Month. Its findings are due to be presented on 9 September at the 15th European Conference on Gambling Studies and Policy Issues in Copenhagen.
