Finding the practice [gambling] morally wrong and actively fighting the addiction in the pews are two different things.…a few churches and ministries are working to sound the alarm and address the issue.

Calvin Ridley, star receiver for the Atlanta Falcons, was suspended for an entire season in 2022 for gambling on NFL games. The following year, 10 NFL and one NHL athlete were suspended for gambling-related infractions.

“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,” Ridley wrote, as part of his article for The Player’s Tribune.

Online sports gambling is sweeping the nation, luring Americans with promises of harmless fun, easy money, and community. And Christians are not immune—many have embraced it as morally acceptable. But as addiction rates climb, 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.

With the overturning of the Professional and Amateur Protection Act (PAPSA) in 2018, a law banning most sports betting, the U.S. saw an immediate rise in legalization from nearly 40 states.

And in 2020, the Gallup poll revealed that 71% of Americans thought gambling was morally acceptable, the highest percentage in its 18-year history. It has since gone down to 63% as of last year.

In 2023, the sports betting revenue had increased more than 44% to $10.9 billion, making up 16% of the $66.5 billion total gambling revenue, as reported by the American Gaming Association. It’s now at over $13 billion as of last year and is projected to exceed $50 billion by the end of 2026.

So, with one in three Americans betting on sports, downloading multiple gambling apps seems to be the latest obsession for men in the U.S., with 52% of men ages 18-49 signed up for accounts with an online sports book, such as DraftKings, Caesars, FanDuel, or BetMGM.

But the consequences are catching up—bankruptcy, loss of savings, depleted college funds, and unchecked addiction.

Sports are even becoming a conduit for organized crime and illegal betting. Between 1963 and 2018, when PASPA was still in effect, only three players were suspended for violating the National Football League’s gambling policy, as compared to the 11 athletes suspended in 2023 alone.

Despite many states’ hopes that the 2018 legalization would increase tax revenue, The Social Science Research Network reported a financial health decline among families with gamblers.

“The introduction of sports gambling and the ease with which consumers can now bet online are harming consumer financial health,” it said.

Atlantic journalist McKay Coppins gambled $10,000 during last NFL season as part of his investigation into sports betting.

Read More