Pocket Casinos

We're reminded in Scripture to walk in contentment and not to be lured into sinful behavior, resisting greed and pursuing righteousness. 1st Timothy 6 states:
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.
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

And, there are those who want to bring this to Alabama...

It does seem like online sports betting is all the rage these days - the entanglement of gambling companies with professional sports has become pervasive, with opportunities to "bet" coming into your home.  

Younger men in America are paying the price. A study was released in September by Fairleigh Dickinson University and its website reports:

The legalization of online gambling and sports betting in much of the United States over the past few years has led to troubling signs of gambling problems among certain groups, especially young men. According to the latest results from FDU Poll’s recent national survey of registered voters, ten percent of men 18-30 have scores that indicate a problem gambling, compared to just 3 percent of the overall population. The survey also shows that such problems are closely related to online betting on sports and online slot machines.

Professor Dan Cassino, the Executive Director of the poll, relates, “...there’s always some chance of gambling turning into problem behaviors, and online gambling is proving to be much more dangerous than other kinds.”

How pervasive is gambling activity today?  The study summary found:

Fifty-seven percent of American voters say that they’ve participate in some kind of gambling or betting behavior in the past year. Seventeen percent took part in just one form, with lottery tickets (43 percent) edging out scratch-off tickets (36 percent) as the most common forms of gambling in the country. About 18 percent say that they’ve played casino games or slot machines in person, and ten percent say that they’ve bet on sports or races online in the past year.

And, the survey also included what is called the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI), described as "a nine-question battery that asks about a number of indications of problem gambling behaviors (now often referred to as 'gambling harm'), like borrowing money to gamble, or saying that their gambling has caused financial or emotional problems."

Here are some startling statistics:

• 21 percent of all voters report at least one problem behavior
• 35 percent of those who said that they have participated in gambling report at least one problem behavior
• Of those 35 percent, 15 percent of those who report gambling saying that they have one problem behavior, and 20 percent of gamblers reporting two or more.

And, as the survey indicates: "Twenty-four percent of men report at least one problem behavior, but that figure is 45 percent for men 30 and under, and 38 percent of men 31 to 44."  18 percent of women report one or more problem behaviors from gambling.

One-third of those surveyed indicated that problem behaviors resulted from playing the lottery.  Two-thirds of those who take part in online sports betting report at least one problem behavior, with over half reporting two. 

And, there are those in power who want to bring this to Alabama.  

Alabama Policy Institute, in response to gambling legislation introduced into Alabama, stated:

Legalizing casino-style gambling in the state and establishing a statewide lottery is bad public policy, both fiscally and socially, and it is the wrong solution to address the state’s unsustainable fiscal trajectory. Regardless of who plays the lottery or gambles (regardless of the outcome), the government receives a portion of every dollar spent on these activities. This creates a perverse incentive for the state, especially when conventional revenue streams are volatile. The state becomes addicted to these regressive funding streams, with politicians actually desiring for more and more individuals and families to recklessly spend their money gambling. If a lottery is instituted or gambling increased, calls to further increase gambling will become incessant and government expansion will likely follow in its wake.

While online sports betting has a higher level of problem behavior resulting from it, that doesn't mean that the lottery is safe, either. And, no form of gambling squares with the Scripture, so there is a strong moral and spiritual component.  Overall, it is a clear violation of "love your neighbor," because if you win, someone has to lose.  API's website noted:

Online gambling—on sports or anything else—would turn every smartphone and device in the state into a portable casino. Where there are more opportunities to gamble, higher rates of addiction and negative societal impacts follow.

States that have legalized gambling experience higher rates of gambling addiction, crime, corruption, addiction, and mental health disorders. With more opportunities to gamble, the negative impact of gambling increases. This is especially true as gambling is normalized for children; early and increased exposure to gambling leads to increases in addiction that can cause emotional damage, strained relationships, and ruined lives.

And, there are those who want to bring this to Alabama.  Last year in the Legislature, it came down essentially to one vote to send legislation expanding gambling in the state to the voters.  That should not happen, and legislators should know better.  They try to pass a bill and then pass the buck to the voters, who would have been vulnerable to a barrage of advertising promising all sorts of utopian notions if gambling were expanded.  Begin to pray now that legislators will not allow their regular session to be overshadowed by the empty promises of gambling and that Godly wisdom will prevail.