Gambling is not illegal in the Army. On operational tours it is often the case that units run Bingo and various sweepstakes and lotteries.
What is frowned upon is organising unsupervised private gambling games within the Barrack rooms.
There would not be a problem with Army guys setting up a private online tourney.
One of the reasons for Army personell not going for poker is that games like 3 card brag are preffered due to these games being able to be closed off immediately.
Quite often the Army guys are in a position that they can be called out at a moments notice, closing off a Poker game would entail having to count chips and divvy the takings.
Geo
i can assure you any form of gambling is deemed illegal in the army due to the nature of there being winners and losers and the army cant have its gambling losers holding grudes against its winners or its winners not getting paid by its losers and therefore in a combat situtaion people not watching each others back.
on 1 night in my unit out a WOII got busted 2 ranks after he was found to have led a unit party into a casino
Having spent 23 years as an infantryman, quite recently finihed my time, I can assure all that "organised and supervised" gambling is permitted.
Many units, when on operational tours run various events such as radio bingo, football sweeps and leagues, lottery syndicates and even mini lotteries.
As I stated in my post, running private gambling games is illegal and frowned upon.
Did your messes not have fruit machines? Where your soldiers not allowed to take part in the Lottery, bet on horses or do the pools?
Geo
Did your unit never do the radio bingo