US Military Members Spent $500K on Gambling, Related Expenses Using Government Charge Cards

Posted on: January 28, 2025, 06:48h. 

Last updated on: January 28, 2025, 09:03h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

US military members used government-issued travel cards to rack up more than $500K in improper expenses at casinos and nightclubs — as well as for playing online games and having drinks — during the 2023 fiscal year, according to a news report.

MGM National Harbor
MGM National Harbor, pictured above. The Maryland casino was the site of improper expenses by service members. (Image: MGM)

Task & Purpose, a military news outlet, recently reported the expenses, citing a report from a Defense Department audit undertaken by the Inspector General’s office.

The report, “Audit of the DoD Government Travel Charge Card Program: The Visa IntelliLink Compliance Management System,” was focused on potential fraud and unauthorized spending, according to Task & Purpose.

MGM National Harbor Withdrawals

The audit showed that one service member gambled for five months using the card. That person got cash mostly at MGM National Harbor Hotel & Casino in Maryland. The service member charged $10,633 (including ATM fees) during 21 withdrawals at National Harbor, and withdrawals at another Maryland gaming property.

Some attempts at withdrawals were prevented, but the others got through.

Overall, many of the improper charges nationwide were made on federal holidays or on Super Bowl weekend, as well as on St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco De Mayo.

Google was the place with the most improper charges when using government travel cards. Between 2020 and 2024, service members spent about $150K on Google Play apps.

Prior Charges for Strip Clubs

In contrast, a 2015 audit by the Defense Department’s Inspector General’s office discovered close to $1M in gambling charges spent by service members, as well as about $100K spent at strip clubs, according to Task & Purpose.

The military has approximately 2.3M travel cards issued by the federal government. During the 2023 fiscal year, cardholders spent about $6.4B in 24M transactions. Most of these were legitimate and authorized. The travel cards are supposed to be used for needed travel expenses while on official business, such as hotels, meals, car rentals, etc. They can use the cards to withdraw cash, too. They can’t be used for personal expenses.

Officially, they are called Government Travel Charge Cards (GTCC).

Official Travel Expenses

According to a Defense Department website, the GTCC program “provides travelers with a safe, effective, convenient, and commercially available method to pay for official travel expenses. Travelers do not need to use personal funds for mission-related travel expenses, can manage their GTCC account online, and reimbursement is streamlined through DoD’s travel system.”

“The GTCC also offers insurance coverage for rental cars, lost luggage, and personal injury, and provides cardholders with better payment terms, convenient, and commercially available method to pay for official travel expenses.”