The dangerous rise of sports gambling

Since the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision to overturn the federal ban on sports gambling, what was once largely confined to Las Vegas and underground bookies has rapidly become a nationwide phenomenon with online sportsbooks and betting apps. 

Now legal in 39 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, sports gambling is just a click or screen tap away for millions of Americans. This ease of access has led to an explosion in participation among sports fans, often with troubling and addictive consequences.

In the six years since the SCOTUS decision, more than $330 billion has been wagered on sports. In 2024, there was a 24.8 percent increase in bets over 2023, totaling $150 billion, with $3.1 billion projected to be bet on this year’s March Madness tournament alone.

Between fantasy leagues, live game betting, and “prop bets,” sports gambling has become deeply embedded in our culture, destroying lives and negatively impacting both fandom and games. 

The destructive tolls of sports betting

From podcasts to network broadcasts, sports gambling has fully permeated our cultural experience. Entire pre-game shows, sports talk segments, and even live game broadcasts now incorporate real-time odds and betting lines. Platforms like ESPN Bet are integrated directly into fantasy sports, daytime programming, and app ecosystems.

You can’t watch a game, listen to a podcast, or scroll social media without being inundated with ads from DraftKings, FanDuel, and other digital sportsbooks offering sign-up bonuses or enticing bets.

Perhaps the most disturbing trend is the normalization of gambling among teenagers and young adults, particularly men. Age verification is often lax, and many apps allow 18-year-olds to start betting immediately. Teens are exposed early, enticed by parlay bets—multi-outcome wagers with small buy-ins but big potential payouts. 

Imagine placing a $5 bet that your favorite football team will score first, notch two rushing touchdowns, kick four field goals, and win by exactly seven points. If it hits, the payout is large.

But that rare chance of winning is addictive—and for every win, there are dozens of losses. The result? People bleed money while chasing dopamine highs.

But this addiction doesn’t just hurt the gambler—it’s damaging entire families, financial futures, and even the sports themselves. The frequent losses accumulate, slowly draining users’ finances while instilling a compulsive need to chase the next win.

Games within the games

According to the American Institute for Boys and Men, states that legalize sports betting see negative impacts on credit scores, bankruptcy rates, debt collections, auto loan delinquencies, and credit card limits.

The ripple effects don’t stop there. Reports of college athletes being harassed by peers and strangers who lost bets are increasingly common. When student-athletes are publicly blamed for financial losses, it can severely impact their mental health and well-being. 

And even the games are being impacted. Several professional athletes, such as NBA player Malik Beasley of the Detroit Pistons, and MLB players Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase—both pitchers on the Cleveland Guardians—are being investigated for betting on their own games and potentially compromising the outcomes. 

Former Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has already been handed a lifetime suspension from the NBA for betting on his own performances in games, and is now facing jail time after “admitting that he schemed to take himself out of games for gambling’s sake”.

This is causing major concerns around the integrity of sports, with the risk of damaging league reputations among fans.

A cultural complicity: leagues, networks, and revenue

A 2024 Siena College poll on sports gambling found that “online bettors say it’s fun, makes watching games more interesting, think they’ll win & signed up because of a promotion.”

And given that sports leagues, broadcasters, and state governments all benefit from the rise in gambling, there’s little incentive to curb this trend:

• Leagues see increased fan engagement and revenue
• TV networks enjoy boosted viewership
• States rake in millions in additional tax revenue. 

As a result, gambling is being actively promoted by the very institutions tasked with preserving the integrity of sports.

Fantasy Life founder Matthew Berry noted that “The rise of legal sports betting has provided more benefits to leagues than just new revenue streams. They also see it as a way to cater to their most avid fans.” Moreover, fans who play fantasy are twice as likely to buy tickets, watch more games, and purchase merchandise. This statistic alone explains why leagues are willing to risk the integrity of the sport for greater profits. 

But this commercial success comes at a steep ethical cost.

Spiritual warnings and scriptural insights

Now, let’s be clear, the Bible doesn’t explicitly forbid gambling. But it does offer profound wisdom about greed, addiction, and the desire for quick wealth:

• Proverbs 13:11 warns that “wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” 
• Hebrews 13:5 says, “Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’”
• Similarly, 1 Timothy 6:10 declares, “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”

These verses caution us against the idolization of wealth and the hunger for instant gratification. This pursuit can quickly become an idol, diverting attention from God and placing false hope in fleeting rewards.

On a recent episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, we discussed this gambling epidemic, and Dr. Ryan Denison wisely pointed out the importance of self-awareness and spiritual discernment. For those prone to addiction or caught up in the emotional highs and lows of betting, even a small wager can open the door to spiritual and emotional ruin. 

As sports betting grows in popularity, Christians are called to discern where our hearts are weak, to flee temptation, and to steward our influence in a culture where gambling has become glamorized.

In a culture that idolizes wealth, risk, and entertainment, the call of Scripture is clear:

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

What should Christians do?

1. Be honest about your tendencies. If gambling lures you into greed or emotional volatility, step away.
   
2. Speak truth in love. Talk with friends and family about the risks.
   
3. Champion integrity in sports and in life. Call out systems that prioritize profit over people.
   
4. Pursue contentment in Christ over quick gains (Proverbs 30:8)

Rather than seeking thrills or chasing fortune, we are called to pursue biblical contentment, integrity, and generosity. Sports are meant to be enjoyed—but let us watch with pure motives, free from the snares of greed and addiction.