Gambling

Is gambling a sin?  I’d say “yes” which makes just about everyone a sinner.  Of course, gambling is not a sin, per se, but it can lead to many forms of sin.

Some of us sinners do well by our gambling through luck or skill.  Most of us throw our money away because the house always wins in the end.  Many are addicted to gambling and suffer terribly as a consequence.  Consider the following:

(begin) Gambling-related harms are the adverse impacts from gambling on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and society. These harms impact on people’s resources, relationships and health. Negative effects can include loss of employment, debt, crime, breakdown of relationships and deterioration of physical and mental health. At its worst, gambling can contribute to loss of life through suicide.

Harms can be experienced not just by gamblers themselves. They can also affect their children, partners, wider families and social networks, employers, communities and society as a whole.

According to the Daily Mail (August 2023): Americans have lost a staggering $245 BILLION on sports betting since restrictions were loosened in 2018 - with experts fearing gambling addiction has gripped the nation. The Supreme Court loosened restrictions on the industry in 2018. Sport betting is now legal in 34 states and Washing D.C. Concerns are rising that addition to sports gambling could become a crisis.

Gamblers used to be forced to travel to casinos Nevada, which was exempt from a national gambling ban, along with Delaware, Oregon and Montana. But since the 1992 ban was lifted, the industry has become a high-growth tech business that saw more than $12 billion in revenue in just 2022.

Sports betting is now legal, typically for adults aged 21 and over, in 34 states and Washing D.C. - and in 25 jurisdictions in the US gamblers can bet online. The industry has generated more than $3.4 billion in tax revenue.

The U.S. has overtaken the U.K as the biggest regulated online gambling market in the world, and as the industry continues to grow, concerns are rising that addition to sports gambling could become a national crisis. (end)

I’m concerned about television sporting events such as NFL football games.  Just read yesterday's Boston Globe article: "Young Gamblers snared in vortex of sports betting."  So very predictable they would become addicted to the trap of gambling with real money at stake.

In pregame shows and during commercials sports betting is aggressively advertised.  One can bet on just about anything during the game. TV gamblers place many bets during games that seduce away their time and money.  The pleasure of watching a game is sapped by a focus on the gamblers’ wins and losses.  Big-money losses detract from the fun of watching football, baseball and all the rest.

DraftKings is one example.  According to one account, "DraftKings is an American daily fantasy sports contest and sports betting company. The company allows users to enter daily and weekly fantasy sports–related contests and win money based on individual player performances in five major American sports (the MLB, the NHL, the NFL, the NBA and the PGA), Premier League and UEFA Champions League football, NASCAR auto racing, Canadian Football League, the XFL, mixed martial arts (MMA), Boxing, Tennis, All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and WWE."

Here is another. According to one account, "FanDuel Group is an American gambling company that offers sportsbook, daily fantasy sports, horse racing, and online casino. The company operates sportsbooks in a number of states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana and West Virginia, as well as an online horse race betting platform, and a daily fantasy sports service. The company was originally founded as a daily fantasy sports provider and principally competed with DraftKings. In May 2018, amid the widening legalization of sports betting in the United States, FanDuel agreed to merge with the U.S. operations of Irish bookmaker Paddy Power Betfair (now Flutter Entertainment) to form FanDuel Group. The acquisition sought to leverage the company's existing brand recognition and user base, with FanDuel becoming the company's main U.S. brand." 

Sports betting is EXTREMELY BIG business, and it is bound to get even bigger.  I cannot help but image the Devil as spinning a wheel of fortune or being the dealer in the casino we call our lives where and when the Devil palms cards and stacks the deck against us.   Yet, we still sit at his table and hope for a win that will never come.  Let’s stop spinning the wheel lest it stop on “bankrupt.”

Deacon David Pierce