9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
There's a new idol that's being constructed by Alabama lawmakers, and it threatens to permanently damage the moral fiber of our state - that's where the Church can come in and oppose it. Isaiah 65, in the English Standard Version, says:
11 But you who forsake the Lord,
who forget my holy mountain,
who set a table for Fortune
and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny,
12 I will destine you to the sword,
and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter,
because, when I called, you did not answer;
when I spoke, you did not listen,
but you did what was evil in my eyes
and chose what I did not delight in.”
Lawmakers in the Alabama Legislature have big plans for our state - to dramatically increase the legality of gambling in Alabama. With so much momentum in state budgets, lawmakers seem intent on getting into the gambling business, increasing its scope and then regulating, essentially sponsoring (as Becky Gerritson pointed out on Tuesday's Meeting House) this activity, which is clearly a violation of Scripture.
As if increasing the number of casinos and the types of games that could be played wasn't bad enough, they have also added a lottery to the mix. And, online gaming, including sports betting, is also part of the equation.
Interestingly enough, this proposal has been introduced on the eve of the Super Bowl and following a devastating report by 60 Minutes about the negative consequences of sports betting. A CBS News article begins by saying:
Next Sunday on CBS, the Super Bowl will, for the first time, be held in Las Vegas… a fitting venue given the prominent role gambling plays in sports today. America has recently brought its age-old love of sports betting out of the shadows and onto our phones… and this has created an all-time mismatch, pitting man against machine: gamblers—overwhelmingly young men; versus gambling companies, armed with sophisticated AI, data, and engineering, enticing fans to make snap bets, not just on games, but on every play within games…The early results? Billions for gambling companies, leagues and state governments… and a growing population of sports bettors, struggling to defend against the rush.
The article goes on to say:
It's still early innings, and, remarkably, there is no federal funding for gambling research, so data is scarce… but survey after survey confirms that of the 50 million or so sports bettors in the U.S., men under the age of 35 are far and away the biggest demographic. For decades, leagues feared gambling would corrupt competition. So far, that crisis hasn't happened… but, the last five years have given rise to a surge in young gambling addicts...
CBS also reported:
According to a Siena College poll, which we can report for the first time now, of the young men wagering online, nearly half feel they're betting more than they should… in the five years since New Jersey legalized online sports gambling, calls to the state's problem gambling helpline [have] nearly tripled. The largest caller demographic? 25-34.
The summary of that poll, conducted by the Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) and St. Bonaventure University’s Jandoli School of Communication, states:
Of those who place bets with an online sportsbook, 37% have felt bad or ashamed after losing a bet, 38% have felt that they bet more than they should have, 19% have lied to someone about the extent of their betting, and 18% have bet and lost money that was meant for meeting their financial obligations. By 65-23%, Americans agree that online sports betting will end up creating compulsive gamblers that will cause pain to them and their families.
“With 75% of Americans saying they’ve seen ads for online sportsbooks, it’s not surprising that one in five have an account,” said Don Levy, SCRI’s Director. “Bettors say it’s fun, and a plurality of all Americans, 4840%, agree that online sports betting is a great form of entertainment allowing fans to gamble responsibly.”
“But, nearly 40% of bettors have felt ashamed about their gambling, or bet more than they should, and one in five have lost money they needed or lied to someone about their betting. Over half have chased a bet, that is, increased the amount they bet in hopes of getting money back after a loss, and 22% have had someone express concern to them about their usage of online sportsbooks. Still, only 9% of bettors have called a problem gambling hotline or sought help,” Levy said.
This is just one aspect of this so-called "comprehensive gambling bill" in Alabama which will essentially provide enhanced opportunity for people all across our state to stumble. Consider a recent Christian Post article that quotes from a previous article from Dr. Richard Land; it states:
In a 2022 column for CP, Dr. Richard Land, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, highlighted the negative consequences of gambling, such as addiction and its associated social problems, including divorce, alcoholism and financial distress.
Gambling, according to Land, violates biblical commandments by fostering covetousness and idolatry and undermines the role of government as ordained in the Bible, which is to promote good and punish evil, not to profit from gambling.
That article related:
Gambling generates no new wealth. In order for someone to win, another person has to lose. In reality, gambling is in violation of two of the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not steal” and “Thou shalt not covet,” not to mention the fact that if it becomes an addiction, it violates the commandments against idolatry. And of course, it is the opposite of “loving your neighbor.”
Yet, Alabama citizens could be asked to vote on allowing a major expansion of this type of activity in the state, including more casinos, legalization of sports betting, and a state lottery. The time is now to stop this progression by responsible legislators saying, "no" to any gambling legislation. You can pray, then reach out to your House and Senate member through the Alabama Legislature's website.
The results are clear - under the premise of raising revenue, the moral, economic, and social damage that is left in its wake is tremendous. It goes to show you that if you violate God's ways - as you sow - you will reap devastating consequences. Do we want to go down this route? Absolutely not. As Dr. Land says, "It is clearly counterproductive public policy for a government at any level to sponsor policies and encourage behaviors that disproportionately impact negatively the most economically vulnerable segments of society."
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