If the clubs had been "left alone", there wouldn't be gambling machines in them. Someone in the chain of command made the decision to introduce them. They haven't been there forever.
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Military members are no more susceptible to the evils of gambling than civilians.
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True, but civilians suffer from compulsive gambling, so we should expect military members to suffer in equal proportion.
Here's a scenario that would worry me in the business world but could be ten times worse if it involved a soldier with access to advanced weaponry or sensitive intelligence:
Compulsive gambling can lead to excessive debt. Excessive debt makes a person desperate over how to pay bills, etc. Desperation can lead to bad choices in acquiring money to cover debts. Bad choices can include being a target for blackmail.
So I'd argue it's in the best interest of the military to limit its troop's exposure to situations that would make them targets for blackmailers, which could compromise the security of all Americans.