The Defense Appropriations Act for FY2026, a bill that provides $838.7 billion in total spending, will provide federal government funding for gambling addiction research. The act allows federal funding to be used for gambling addiction research for the very first time.
The bill provides federal funding to research gambling addiction in both active and veteran military members through the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), which provides grants for medical research and treatments.
Each year, Congress provides a list of conditions and treatments that are covered under the program. In FY2025, Congress allocated approximately $150 million toward the PRMRP.
“This is an important step forward,” said National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Executive Director Heather Maurer. “For the f..