By Mallory Mattingly
Prize Picks, FanDuel, Hard Rock Bet, DraftKings and many more apps just like them are causing problems the church needs to address.
Atlanta Hawks wide receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season for placing bets on several NFL games. Ten other players were suspended the following year for the same offense.
Ridley innocently used the app but quickly got sucked in.
“I saw a TV commercial for a betting app, and for whatever reason, I downloaded it on my phone. I deposited like $1,500 total, literally just for something to do. I was going to bet like $200 on some NBA games that night, but then I just added a bunch more games to a parlay,” he wrote in a letter to The Player’s Tribune.
In 2020, Gallup took a poll that revealed that over 71% of Americans feel that gambling is morally acceptable. Since then, that percentage has gone down to 63%.
However, sports betting revenue has only increased by “more than 44% to $10.9 billion, making up 16% of the $66.5 billion total gambling revenue,” MinistryWatch said. “It’s now at over $13 billion as of last year and is projected to exceed $50 billion by the end of 2026.”
Related: College Student Says Sports Betting Is ‘Wrecking My Friends’ Lives’
And unfortunately, sports betting has leaked into churches, and many believers see the gambling as something that is morally acceptable.
Gambling addiction rates are on the rise, but “few ministries or churches appear to be stepping in to help. MinistryWatch contacted numerous ministries, including those focused on addiction, but they were either unresponsive or reported no experiences with these issues,” MinistryWatch reported.
So what can churches do to help those dealing with a gambling addiction?
Even though the Bible does not explicitly say “do not gamble,” it does give insights into how we should steward the resources God gives us. The Bible also talks about idols, which is anything that we put above God.
“The Bible teaches that sin has a ripple effect that harms not only the participant but those around him. This seems particularly true for addictive behaviors, and gambling is no different,” Miles Mullin, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission vice president and chief of staff, told Lifeway.
“Anything can happen in sports, and many Americans want the same allure of an unexpected win in sports to translate into an unexpected financial windfall,” Lifeway Executive Director Scott McConnell added. “Most pastors see moral hazards in sports betting and believe American society would be better off without it.”
It’ll be a long fight against sports betting, but it’s one worth having.
“The battle to end the gambling industry’s predation is sure to be hard fought, a long road marked by small-yet-significant steps forward,” Mullin explained. “Despite the challenges, we must press forward, confident that our opposition to legalized gambling is rooted in God’s Word. At the same time, we must come alongside those caught in gambling’s snare, ministering to them, and exhorting them toward godliness.”
No matter who you are, gambling and sports betting ruin lives.
Jeff Rose, a CFP, shared an X post from businessman Nick Huber. Huber said, “BAN SPORTS BETTING. It is ruining lives, and it is highly addictive. More and more men are getting hurt. Families torn apart. Leading to suicide, divorce, and destruction. Unreal, we are letting them advertise to our public 24/7.”
“Sports betting is not a fun debate in my house. It is a family story,” Rose added. “My dad’s gambling addiction did not just take money. It took peace. It took trust. It took stability. People love to say, ‘Let adults do what they want.’ Cool. Adults do not just hurt themselves. They hurt everyone who loves them. That is why the nonstop sportsbook ads make me sick. Because I have seen what comes after the jokes, the parlays, and the ‘I got this.’ It is not entertainment when it wrecks a home.”
Ultimately, as sports betting increasingly infiltrates the church and wrecks families from within, congregations must step up to confront this growing addiction by combining biblical stewardship with active, compassionate support for those caught in its trap.
Read Next: People Seek Help for Gambling Addiction Following Normalization of Sports Betting
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