Sports Betting and the Growing Acceptance of Gambling (02.17.22)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

This week we’re going to be talking about the rise of sports betting and its impact on how religious people view the issue of gambling. The Super Bowl was played this past Sunday and billions of dollars were wagered on the game. Religious groups who strongly opposed gambling not long ago are now accepting it. We’re going to discuss this in our episode.

STORY – Super Bowl Betting Is a $7.6 Billion Problem Fewer Evangelicals Care About

“The 1990s were a busy time for Christians combatting gambling at local levels: fighting a casino here or lottery expansions there.

“Tom Grey, a Methodist minister, traveled 250 days a year with the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling, which now goes by the name Stop Predatory Gambling. He can remember major wins, like keeping a casino out of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, with the help of filmmaker Ken Burns.”

[…]

“Grey, 81, is retired, but now he is watching the latest iteration of the industry take off: sports betting.

“The Super Bowl on Sunday will be the first big windfall in many states for online sports betting. Companies like Draft Kings and FanDuel have been running ads throughout game broadcasts and all over sports news sites, urging fans to put money on their favorite teams or fantasy leagues.

“The American Gambling Association has projected a record 31.4 million Americans will put down $7.6 billion on this year’s LA Rams–Cincinnati Bengals matchup. That’s up more than one-third from last Super Bowl, as more states have legalized online betting. Sports betting is now legal in 30 states and Washington, DC. In some states, such betting happens at a physical venue, while others have begun allowing it online.”

[…]

“Few Christians see sports gambling as a problem. A 2016 survey from Lifeway Research found that only 36 percent of Christians thought sports betting was morally wrong.” (Christianity Today)