Compulsive Gambling: Background Information for Security Personnel

by Richards J. Heuer Jr.

PREFACE
Gambling is becoming more important as a security issue. Investigators,
polygraphers, adjudicators and managers involved in the security clearance process need
a good perspective on what is going on in society as a whole, what is common and what
is uncommon.

Gambling behavior receives minimal mention in personnel security adjudication
guidelines listed in Appendix I of the DoD Personnel Security Program, DoD 5200.2-R,
and in the Director of Central Intelligence Directive Number 1/14, Minimum Personnel
Security Standards and Procedures Governing Eligibility for Access to Sensitive
Compartmented Information. Yet, as this report shows, compulsive gambling is particularly
important as our society is undergoing dramatic change in the prevalence of
gambling and in attitudes toward gambling.

The value of this report will be to precipitate a review of adjudication and
investigative policies and procedures relating to compulsive gambling and to provide
information for integrating the results into training programs. The report will also be
helpful to counselors in employee assistance programs.

This is the third in a series of studies of behaviors that raise questions about
personnel secur.ty and suitability. Previous studies dealt with alcohol use and abuse and
with financial irresponsibility. Future studies will deal with nonconforming sexual
behavior, criminal behavior, and drug abuse. These reports are part of the research
agenda recommended by the 1985 Stilwell Commission Report, Keeping the Nation's
Secrets, a Report to the Secretary of Defense by the Commission to Review DoD Security
Policies and Practices.

The report was prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency using the support
facilities and assistance of the Defense Personnel Security Research Center, and it is
being disseminated by both organizations.

Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2018

About the author

Richards "Dick" J. Heuer, Jr. is a former CIA veteran of 45 years and most known for his work on analysis of competing hypotheses and his book, Psychology of Intelligence Analysis.